sewer

¹ American  

[soo-er] / ˈsu ər /

noun

1. an artificial conduit, usually underground, for carrying off waste water and refuse, as in a town or city.

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verb (used with object)

1. to provide or equip with sewers.

   a tax increase necessary to sewer the neighborhood.

sewer ² American  

[soh-er] / ˈsoʊ ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that sews.

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sewer ³ American  

[soo-er] / ˈsu ər /

noun

1. a former household officer or head servant in charge of the service of the table.

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sewer ¹ British  

/ ˈsuːə /

noun

1. a drain or pipe, esp one that is underground, used to carry away surface water or sewage

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verb

1. (tr) to provide with sewers

sewer ² British  

/ ˈsəʊə /

noun

1. a person or thing that sews

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sewer ³ British  

/ ˈsuːə /

noun

1. (in medieval England) a servant of high rank in charge of the serving of meals and the seating of guests

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Other Word Forms

• sewerless adjective
• sewerlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of sewer¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English suer(e) “drainage ditch,” from dialectal Old French se(u)wiere “overflow channel, pond sluice” (compare Old French ess(e)ouer(e) “ditch”), from unrecorded Vulgar Latin exaquāria “drain for carrying water off,” equivalent to Latin ex- “out of, away” + aquāria “pertaining to water” (feminine singular of aquārius ); -ary ( def. ), -er ², sew ²

Origin of sewer²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English sewer(e), souere, sower; sew ¹, -er ¹

Origin of sewer³

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English sever(e), sewerer “attendant who served or tasted his master's food,” shortened form of Anglo-French asseour “one who sets the table, seater,” equivalent to Old French asse(oir) “to seat” (from Latin assidēre “to attend upon”) + -our; assiduous, -or ² )

Example Sentences

Yet “most expenses related to housing are fixed or nonnegotiable, including mortgage payments, water & sewer charges, insurance, fuel, and electricity, leaving maintenance as the largest single category of discretionary operating costs.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Soon, he had painted his first sewer flower.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the open sewer outside, plastic bags and bottles drift through charcoal-grey sludge, its stench thick in the air.

From BBC

Rats live in drains, sewers and burrows, and emerge mostly at night, so counting them is nearly impossible and estimates on rat population figures vary.

From BBC

She hopes they will soon get some backup electricity, even if it’s just to power the wells and sewer system.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• gutter
• septic tank
• sewage system