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 ); -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 )

Example Sentences

It favors defensive sectors such as public power and water and sewer utilities for their essential nature and predictable cashflows in case the economy struggles, it says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

The company also manufactured asbestos-cement pipe from 1983 to 1988 used by municipal water systems, sewer systems and other customers.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

In New York, excavators scooped piles of snow into steaming orange trailers known as "hot tubs," which send the meltwater down into the city's sewer system.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

There has been a 25% reduction in serious environmental pollution incidents and internal sewer flooding incidents have been cut by one-third.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026

I'm lying awake in the dark on a hot summer night and I'm thinking, Treasure in the sewer?

From "Freak The Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick

Related Words

• gutter
• septic tank
• sewage system