water tower

American  

noun

water towers plural

1. a vertical pipe or tower into which water is pumped to a height sufficient to maintain a desired pressure for firefighting, distribution to customers, etc.

2. a fire-extinguishing apparatus for throwing a stream of water on the upper parts of a tall burning building.

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water tower British  

noun

1. a reservoir or storage tank mounted on a tower-like structure at the summit of an area of high ground in a place where the water pressure would otherwise be inadequate for distribution at a uniform pressure

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• water towers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of water tower

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

water tower

The launch complex’s water tower is “also good,” according to Limp, while its big support tower is damaged but repairable.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026

The video closed with “Top Gun” actor Tom Cruise perched atop the Paramount water tower.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026

“We did everything right,” said St. Clair Mayor Bill Cedar, who was part of an effort to woo Magna with tax breaks and the construction of a new water tower to supply the facility.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

The town of 2,000 also features a full Pusser museum, the Buford Pusser fairgrounds, a water tower with Buford’s image on it, and the Buford Pusser Highway.

From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2025

It had a view of the legs of Fort Detrick’s water tower.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston