sewer

¹

[soo-er]

noun

1. an artificial conduit, usually underground, for carrying off waste water and refuse, as in a town or city.

verb (used with object)

1. to provide or equip with sewers.

   a tax increase necessary to sewer the neighborhood.

sewer

²

[soh-er]

noun

1. a person or thing that sews.

sewer

³

[soo-er]

noun

1. a former household officer or head servant in charge of the service of the table.

sewer

¹

/ ˈsuːə /

noun

1. a drain or pipe, esp one that is underground, used to carry away surface water or sewage

verb

1. (tr) to provide with sewers

sewer

²

/ ˈsəʊə /

noun

1. a person or thing that sews

sewer

³

/ ˈsuːə /

noun

1. (in medieval England) a servant of high rank in charge of the serving of meals and the seating of guests

Other Word Forms

• sewerless adjective
• sewerlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sewer¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English suer(e) “drainage ditch,” from dialectal Old French se(u)wiere “overflow channel, pond sluice” (compare Old French ess(e)ouer(e) “ditch”), from unrecorded Vulgar Latin exaquāria “drain for carrying water off,” equivalent to Latin ex- “out of, away” + aquāria “pertaining to water” (feminine singular of aquārius ); -ary ( def. ), -er ², sew ²

Origin of sewer²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English sewer(e), souere, sower; sew ¹, -er ¹

Origin of sewer³

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English sever(e), sewerer “attendant who served or tasted his master's food,” shortened form of Anglo-French asseour “one who sets the table, seater,” equivalent to Old French asse(oir) “to seat” (from Latin assidēre “to attend upon”) + -our; assiduous, -or ² )

Word History and Origins

Origin of sewer¹

C15: from Old French esseveur, from essever to drain, from Vulgar Latin exaquāre (unattested), from Latin _ex- ¹ + aqua water

Origin of sewer²

C14: shortened from Anglo-French asseour, from Old French asseoir to cause to sit, from Latin assidēre, from sedēre to sit

Example Sentences

This was another good sign, for she was an excellent button sewer, thanks to a class at Swanburne devoted to that very skill.

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Plastic wipes don't disintegrate when flushed down the toilet, so when oil and fat congeal on them, so-called fatbergs form in sewers, which water companies say cost them £200m a year to clear.

Read more on BBC

The bathrooms smelled of sewer, and the boys used the same bunk beds Sánchez slept in more than 40 years before.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Students calling themselves the Travel Bureau guided escapers from East to West through the city’s maze of sewer pipes.

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It said a blocked sewer - the responsibility of the recently demolished Cwmfelin social club - is to blame.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• gutter 
• septic tank 
• sewage system www.thesaurus.com