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

• 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

See Examples For:

sewer

Connot searched the scientific literature and found reports describing a similar phenomenon in large municipal sewer systems.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026

Broadband provider Openreach said workers carrying out sewer excavation work on Hall Lane, Maghull, caused "significant damage" to part of its underground network.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

California American Water, a private water and sewer company, gave $10,000 to the Representation Project in 2019, as it sought state permits to build a desalination plant.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

The think-tank has examined how the technology could help or harm dozens of professions -- from cobblers to sewer cleaners, farmers to tea sellers.

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

Those were jobs nobody cared about in Odessa unless a house burned down or a sewer line backed up.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

Related Words

• gutter
• septic tank
• sewage system