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

It’s ridiculous, especially because the infrastructure and the water and sewer system in the city wouldn’t be able to handle it.

From Salon • Apr. 27, 2026

The government is seeking unspecified damages and to require the utility to develop an enhanced operations and maintenance plan for its sewer lines.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

The state government established what was called a “concurrency doctrine,” instituting strict requirements for infrastructure development—water, sewer, schooling—that had to be established before construction permits were granted.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

It was thought they could have vanished into the sewer system.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Any rat in a sewer can lie, Tam Lin had said.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

Related Words

• gutter
• septic tank
• sewage system