sewer

¹ American  

[soo-er] / ˈsu ər /

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 American  

[soh-er] / ˈsoʊ ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that sews.

---

sewer ³ American  

[soo-er] / ˈsu ər /

noun

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

---

sewer ¹ British  

/ 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 British  

/ ˈsəʊə /

noun

1. a person or thing that sews

---

sewer ³ British  

/ 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

Etymology

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 ); see -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; see assiduous, -or ²)

Explanation

Like so many superheroes, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live in a sewer, the system that carries waste and water from buildings, houses, and mad scientists’ labs. The water that runs down a storm drain also ends up in a sewer. After you take a shower, or wash dishes, or flush the toilet, that used waste water runs through pipes away from your house. It travels either to a small septic system, or to a larger, city-wide sewer system, where it's treated to make it safe and clean enough to release into the environment. The origin of sewer can be traced to the Old North French sewiere, "sluice from a pond," or "something that makes water flow."

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, Sioux City has been dubbed Sewer City for its fixation on the sanctity of its public works.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025

Every frame is filled with details, down to the T-shirts for small regional bands like Sewer Trout.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2025

"I guess the Sewer Boys are characters, and they're gonna somehow become integral to the plot."

From Salon • Oct. 26, 2023

“Who could have ever imagined that something like this would happen to three Sewer Authority employees as they are at work, doing the right thing, doing the people’s business?”

From Seattle Times • Oct. 26, 2023

“Look—if you were playing Mr. Lemoncello’s Family Frenzy and the first and second time you rolled the dice, you landed on Sewer Repairs and Dog Pound, would you quit?”

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• gutter
• septic tank
• sewage system