water tower

American  

noun

water towers plural

1. a vertical pipe or tower into which water is pumped to a height sufficient to maintain a desired pressure for firefighting, distribution to customers, etc.

2. a fire-extinguishing apparatus for throwing a stream of water on the upper parts of a tall burning building.

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water tower British  

noun

1. a reservoir or storage tank mounted on a tower-like structure at the summit of an area of high ground in a place where the water pressure would otherwise be inadequate for distribution at a uniform pressure

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• water towers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of water tower

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

water tower

The launch complex’s water tower is “also good,” according to Limp, while its big support tower is damaged but repairable.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026

The town of 2,000 also features a full Pusser museum, the Buford Pusser fairgrounds, a water tower with Buford’s image on it, and the Buford Pusser Highway.

From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2025

The water tower which tops Victor's laboratory is a nod to one such Scottish landmark.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2025

When the monster emerges in the water tower, a moss-covered, faucet-dripping, steam-seeping laboratory punctuated by a screaming sculpture of Medusa, he’s as old as he is new.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2025

“I mean, what curse causes a water tower to explode?”

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool