sewer

[ soo-er ]

See synonyms for sewer on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

verb (used with object)

to provide or equip with sewers: a tax increase necessary to sewer the neighborhood.

Origin of sewer

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 ); see -ary, -er², sew²

Other words from sewer

sew·er·less, adjective
sew·er·like, adjective

Words Nearby sewer

Other definitions for sewer (2 of 3)

sewer²

[ soh-er ]

noun

a person or thing that sews.

Origin of sewer

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English sewer(e), souere, sower; sew¹, -er¹

Other definitions for sewer (3 of 3)

sewer³

[ soo-er ]

noun

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

Origin of sewer

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; see assiduous, -or²)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sewer in a sentence

People too far away from sewer pipes usually have septic tanks.
A dirty and growing problem: Too few toilets | Stephanie Parker | September 24, 2020 | Science News For Students
Romania is on a climbing trend right now, especially in rural parts, where most are now connected to natural gas, water and sewer systems.
Running for Mayor in Romania | Eugene Robinson | September 24, 2020 | Ozy
Utilities—like power, communication, water, and sewer lines—are usually located alongside roads, so those are also threatened.
California wildfires may give way to massive mudslides | Ula Chrobak | September 17, 2020 | Popular-Science
Using a bank of samples from a treatment plant in Massachusetts, the company found that the virus showed up in the sewers in early March—around the same time as the first confirmed case.
Tackling covid | Tate Ryan-Mosley | August 19, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
And, Malone explained, the city’s infrastructure, including its sewer system, didn’t keep up as the city expanded.
Border Report: Border Hospitals Are Still Struggling | Maya Srikrishnan | July 6, 2020 | Voice of San Diego

In fact, he's even a kind of modern-day Orpheus, descending into the sewer to bet his life and find redemption.
New York’s Greatest Show Or How They Did Not Screw Up ‘Guys and Dolls’ | Ross Wetzsteon | April 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The son of a fashion model and sewer contractor, Walker grew up Mormon and graduated from Village Christian High School.
Actor Paul Walker, Star of ‘The Fast and the Furious’ Films, Dies In Car Crash | Marlow Stern | December 1, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
I live far away from everything, without sewer, Internet, or fashion magazines from overseas.
Nine Amazing Places To Skinny Dip Around The World | Erin Cunningham | September 21, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
In June, a court ruled that JPMorgan would lose $842 million of the $1.22 billion in sewer debt it held.
JP Morgan Chase’s Long List of Expensive Legal Settlements Grows Even Longer | Nina Strochlic, William O’Connor | September 20, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
A lot of older cities have sewer systems that take rainwater, sewage, and industrial wastewater in the same pipe.
Surfing Is Less Mystical and More High Tech Says a New Book | Josh Dzieza | August 1, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Then crouching low, he crossed the room to where the strainer top of the sewer drain was placed in the concrete floor.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942 | Various
This sewer enters two portions of the parish, one division at its northern, and the other at its eastern side.
Report of the Several Works Connected with the Draining, Paving & Lighting the Parish of Saint Mary Abbotts, Kensington, 1856 | James Broadbridge
Rats burrow along a drain pipe from the sewer into the house and admit sewer gas.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine | Austin Malley
An attempt was next made to dig into a small sewer that ran from the southeast corner of the prison into the main sewer.
Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes of the Civil War | Various
In the mean time, the two men were to enter and make careful examination of the main sewer and its adjacent outlets.
Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes of the Civil War | Various

British Dictionary definitions for sewer (1 of 3)

sewer¹

/ (ˈsuːə) /

noun

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

verb

(tr) to provide with sewers

Origin of sewer

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

British Dictionary definitions for sewer (2 of 3)

sewer²

/ (ˈsəʊə) /

noun

a person or thing that sews

British Dictionary definitions for sewer (3 of 3)

sewer³

/ (ˈsuːə) /

noun

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

Origin of sewer

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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