drainage

American  

[drey-nij] / ˈdreɪ nɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act or process of draining.

2. a system of drains, artificial or natural.

3. drainage basin.

4. something that is drained off.

5. Surgery. the drainage of fluids, as bile, urine, etc., from the body, or of pus and other diseased products from a wound.

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drainage British  

/ ˈdreɪnɪdʒ /

noun

1. the process or a method of draining

2. a system of watercourses or drains

3. liquid, sewage, etc, that is drained away

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Other Word Forms

• overdrainage
  noun

Etymology

Origin of drainage

First recorded in 1645–55; drain + -age

Example Sentences

"They needed to fix the drainage and not just paint it blue to make it look bright."

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Six days after Noah's disappearance, his body was found in an underground drainage system more than six hundred metres downstream from the culvert inlet which is located behind homes at Northwood Road.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

This year, attendees can sign up for free massages, red light therapy sessions, lymphatic drainage boots, and—thanks in part to a partnership with LEGO—partake in a series of analog “adult play” installations.

From Slate • May 8, 2026

I love a lymphatic drainage massage too, that’s like one of my favorite treats to myself.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

The glass structure was set in the center, and the lead sloped slightly downward all around toward a gutter inside the parapet, with square drainage holes in the stone for rainwater.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• sewerage