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

A former British reality TV personality was found dead in a drainage ditch in Thailand, a coroner has said.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

“This should be mostly beneficial across the region, but some minor nuisance flooding is possible in urban and poor drainage areas if heavy rain showers or thunderstorms develop,” the weather service office in Monterey said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026

Prosecutors said Colony Ridge repeatedly misled consumers about the condition of lots they purchased, forcing them to spend hundreds or thousands on drainage improvements and utility connections they hadn’t known the land needed.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

Known for its tech-forward treatments in blood circulation, tissue health and cellular vitality, the studio offers therapies for toning skin, relieving muscle soreness and lymphatic drainage.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Both the drainage and the ventilation were better than he had been accustomed to.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

Related Words

• sewerage