water tower

noun

1. a vertical pipe or tower into which water is pumped to a height sufficient to maintain a desired pressure for firefighting, distribution to customers, etc.
2. a fire-extinguishing apparatus for throwing a stream of water on the upper parts of a tall burning building.

water tower

noun

1. a reservoir or storage tank mounted on a tower-like structure at the summit of an area of high ground in a place where the water pressure would otherwise be inadequate for distribution at a uniform pressure

Word History and Origins

Origin of water tower¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

There’s even a water tower in the center of town painted to look like it’s held up by the long-lived lollipops.

From Salon

The wheat and potato fields there run right up to the Gaza border fence, within sight of the apartment buildings, water towers and minarets of the Palestinian village of Abasan just beyond it.

From New York Times

Firefighters even used water from the local golf course because the town’s water tower couldn’t keep up, Neuner said.

From Seattle Times

The owl spent his days perched on tree branches, fence posts and fire escapes and nights hooting atop water towers and preying on the city’s abundant rats.

From Seattle Times

“We hoped only to see Flaco hooting wildly from the top of our local water tower, never in the clinic,” the World Bird Fund wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

From Seattle Times