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

A blockage estimated to be around 100 tonnes has been cleared from a west London sewer.

From BBC

He is the proverbial New York sewer rat, cornered and lashing out in a desperate attempt to survive.

From Salon

He then began offering the lots, which have water, power and sewer hookups as well as space to park a car and create a small yard, to prospective tenants.

From Los Angeles Times

Rebuilding homeowners in Redding also had access to a central sewer system, had their electricity restored by the local utility and street repairs handled by the city.

From Los Angeles Times

That’s why local leaders are pushing for a new sewer system as part of an expanded town center to attract restaurants and business that would make more young families want to live there.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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