cesspool

American  

[ses-pool] / ˈsɛsˌpul /

noun

1. a cistern, well, or pit for retaining the sediment of a drain or for receiving the sewage from a house.

2. any filthy receptacle or place.

3. any place of moral filth or immorality.

   a cesspool of iniquity.

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cesspool British  

/ ˈsɛsˌpuːl, ˈsɛsˌpɪt /

noun

1. Also called: sink.   sump.  a covered cistern, etc, for collecting and storing sewage or waste water

2. a filthy or corrupt place

   a cesspool of iniquity

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Etymology

Origin of cesspool

1575–85; cess (< Italian cesso privy < Latin rēcessus recess, place of retirement) + pool ¹

Explanation

Literally, a cesspool is place underground where sewage gathers, but figuratively, you might hear anything that's full of germs or just plain disgusting described as a cesspool. Either way, you'll want to steer clear. Think of a cesspool as an underground swimming pool full of nastiness, which of course rhymes with cess. But the word cesspool isn't just used to describe a storage place underground where sewage is held temporarily. It's also a term you might use to negatively describe something that's swimming in germs or corruption. Stuck on a long flight between two people with a cold? That's a cesspool of germs right there for you.