Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Basin \Ba"sin\, n. [OF. bacin, F. bassin, LL. bacchinus, fr.
   bacca a water vessel, fr. L. bacca berry, in allusion to the
   round shape; or perh. fr. Celtic. Cf. {Bac}.]
   1. A hollow vessel or dish, to hold water for washing, and
      for various other uses.

   2. The quantity contained in a basin.

   3. A hollow vessel, of various forms and materials, used in
      the arts or manufactures, as that used by glass grinders
      for forming concave glasses, by hatters for molding a hat
      into shape, etc.

   4. A hollow place containing water, as a pond, a dock for
      ships, a little bay.

   5. (Physical Geog.)
      (a) A circular or oval valley, or depression of the
          surface of the ground, the lowest part of which is
          generally occupied by a lake, or traversed by a river.
      (b) The entire tract of country drained by a river, or
          sloping towards a sea or lake.

   6. (Geol.) An isolated or circumscribed formation,
      particularly where the strata dip inward, on all sides,
      toward a center; -- especially applied to the coal
      formations, called {coal basins} or {coal fields}.

Source : WordNet®

basin
     n 1: a bowl-shaped vessel; usually used for holding food or
          liquids; "she mixed the dough in a large basin"
     2: the quantity that a basin will hold; "a basinful of water"
        [syn: {basinful}]
     3: a natural depression in the surface of the land often with a
        lake at the bottom of it; "the basin of the Great Salt
        Lake"
     4: the entire geographical area drained by a river and its
        tributaries; "flood control in the Missouri basin" [syn: {river
        basin}]
     5: a bathroom or lavatory sink that is permanently installed
        and connected to a water supply and drainpipe; where you
        wash your hands and face; "he ran some water in the basin
        and splashed it on his face" [syn: {washbasin}, {washbowl},
         {washstand}, {lavatory}]