drain

[ dreyn ]

verb (used with object)

1. to withdraw or draw off (a liquid) gradually; remove slowly or by degrees, as by filtration:

   to drain oil from a crankcase.

2. to withdraw liquid gradually from; make empty or dry by drawing off liquid:

   to drain a crankcase.

3. to exhaust the resources of:

   to drain the treasury.

4. to deprive of strength; tire.

verb (used without object)

1. to flow off gradually.
2. to become empty or dry by the gradual flowing off of liquid or moisture:

   This land drains into the Mississippi.

noun

1. something, as a pipe or conduit, by which a liquid drains.
2. Surgery. a material or appliance for maintaining the opening of a wound to permit free exit of fluids.
3. gradual or continuous outflow, withdrawal, or expenditure.
4. something that causes a large or continuous outflow, expenditure, or depletion:

   Medical expenses were a major drain on his bank account.

5. an act of draining.
6. Physical Geography.
   1. an artificial watercourse, as a ditch or trench.
   2. a natural watercourse modified to increase its flow of water.

drain

/ dreɪn /

noun

1. a pipe or channel that carries off water, sewage, etc
2. an instance or cause of continuous diminution in resources or energy; depletion
3. surgery a device, such as a tube, for insertion into a wound, incision, or bodily cavity to drain off pus, etc
4. electronics the electrode region in a field-effect transistor into which majority carriers flow from the interelectrode conductivity channel
5. down the drain
   wasted

verb

1. troften foll byoff to draw off or remove (liquid) from

   to drain vegetables

   to drain water from vegetables

2. introften foll byaway to flow (away) or filter (off)
3. intr to dry or be emptied as a result of liquid running off or flowing away

   leave the dishes to drain

4. tr to drink the entire contents of (a glass, cup, etc)
5. tr to consume or make constant demands on (resources, energy, etc); exhaust; sap
6. intr to disappear or leave, esp gradually

   the colour drained from his face

7. tr (of a river, etc) to carry off the surface water from (an area)
8. intr (of an area) to discharge its surface water into rivers, streams, etc

Derived Forms

• ˈdrainable, adjective

Other Words From

• draina·ble adjective
• drainer noun
• over·drain verb
• un·draina·ble adjective
• un·drained adjective
• well-drained adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of drain¹

before 1000; Middle English dreynen, Old English drēhnian, drēahnian to strain, filter; akin to dry

Word History and Origins

Origin of drain¹

Old English drēahnian; related to Old Norse drangr dry wood; see dry

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. go down the drain,
   1. to become worthless or profitless.
   2. to go out of existence; disappear.

More idioms and phrases containing drain

see brain drain ; down the drain .

Example Sentences

"You won't be happy if you are running an LLM and your phone drains out of charge in an hour," said Saha.

From Science Daily

"No, because I just didn't think it would have the impact it did, because I was just that sick and tired of it, it was draining," Rooney said.

From BBC

"Danish nature will change in a way we have not seen since the wetlands were drained in 1864," Mr Bruus said, as quoted by AFP news agency.

From BBC

Yet, it was an elaborate scam - a web of deceit spun by scammers who manipulated her every move and drained her and her family’s life savings.

From BBC

He has described the military support as a drain on US resources and has signalled he will end the war, without explaining how this would happen.

From BBC

Related Words

• bleed
• consume
• deplete
• diminish
• divert
• dry
• empty
• exhaust
• pump
• reduce
• sap
• siphon
• strain
• suck
• tap
• use up