A large-scale basin in which sedimentation has occurred or is taking place, as distinguished from a tectonic basin due to folding of preexisting rocks; e.g., the Anglo- Parisian cuvette of Southeast England and Northeast France, in which Cenozoic rocks accumulated and were later folded into several distinct but smaller basins, such as the London Basin and the Paris Basin. Etymol: French, small tub or vat. Sometimes misspelled curvette.