cesspit

[ ses-pit ]

noun

1. a pit for receiving wastes, as sewage, or other refuse.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cesspit¹

First recorded in 1860–65; cess(pool) + pit ¹

Example Sentences

Household refuse was thrown into gutters, and human waste ended up in waterways and local cesspits.

From Nautilus

Archaeogeneticist Susanna Sabin and her colleagues found DNA from human gut-dwelling microbes in samples from a 600-year-old household cesspit in Jerusalem and a 700-year-old public toilet in Riga, Latvia.

From Ars Technica

Various substitutes have been tried for the cesspit, which retain the principle of the hand removal of excreta.

From Project Gutenberg

There should be a ventilated trap placed on the pipe leading from the watercloset to the cesspit.

From Project Gutenberg

Where a cesspit is unavoidable, perhaps the best and least offensive system for emptying it is the pneumatic system.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cesspool
• sewer