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drainpipe

American  
[drayn-pahyp] / ˈdreɪnˌpaɪp /

noun

  1. a large pipe that carries away the discharge of waste pipes, soil pipes, etc.


drainpipe British  
/ ˈdreɪnˌpaɪp /

noun

  1. a pipe for carrying off rainwater, sewage, etc; downpipe

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of drainpipe

First recorded in 1855–60; drain + pipe 1


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

One famous example was Inky, the octopus that escaped from New Zealand's National Aquarium in 2016 by squeezing through a drainpipe and making its way back to the ocean.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2026

As snow blew around in unctuous gusts, ten people heaved these cables through a drainpipe to the second story balcony of the computer building.

From Salon ● May 29, 2023

In 2007, an outbreak of foot and mouth disease was traced to an animal health lab at Pirbright in the United Kingdom, where an investigation pointed to a leaking drainpipe.

From Science Magazine ● May 23, 2023

Sheriff’s Department is investigating possible human remains discovered by Caltrans workers performing maintenance on a drainpipe near the 55 Freeway in Costa Mesa.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2022

I climbed up on the doghouse and reached for the drainpipe, like I’d seen Miles do when he’d left the house that night.

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia

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