a mechanism for raising water, consisting of a pivoted pole with a bucket at one end and a counterweight at the other, esp as used in Egypt and the Near East
Word origin
C19: from Egyptian Arabic
shadoof in American English
(ʃɑˈduf)
noun
a device consisting of a long, pivoted pole with a bucket on one end and a weight on the other, used in the Near East for raising water, esp. in irrigating land