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.

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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.

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sewer ³ American  

[soo-er] / ˈsu ər /

noun

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

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sewer ¹ British  

/ ˈsuːə /

noun

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

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verb

1. (tr) to provide with sewers

sewer ² British  

/ ˈsəʊə /

noun

1. a person or thing that sews

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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

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Other Word Forms

Derived 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

New York police are investigating after multiple videos emerged in recent weeks showing groups of people entering and climbing out of the city's sewer system.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

Fish’s monthly housing costs total about $1,770 with all the added fees — and that’s not including gas, electric, water and sewer charges.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection manages the city's water supply and wastewater infrastructure, including thousands of miles of sewer lines and about 100,000 active manholes, according to its website.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

So far, the county has funded technical planning for the sewer expansion, but environmental reviews, feasibility studies and securing resident permissions — as many of the affected streets are private — have not been completed.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

Some found the sewer and some worked their way up the hill to the reservoir and some went into culverts and some only hid among the weeds in the vacant lot.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• gutter
• septic tank
• sewage system