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Synonyms

water main

American  

noun

  1. a main pipe or conduit in a system for conveying water.

water main British  

noun

  1. a principal supply pipe in an arrangement of pipes for distributing water

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of water main

First recorded in 1795–1805

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The public infrastructure report listed $150 million for “wet” infrastructure repairs, which included replacing aging and leaky water main pipelines.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

He had equipped his family’s ocean-view house with a firefighting system, installing a pipe from the water main to his rooftop.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025

Thousands of properties in Plymouth, Bere Alston, Yelverton, and Tavistock lost supplies following a burst water main on Sunday.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2025

The rest, he claimed, had pressure from the water main.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2025

Grandpa wouldn’t pay to hook into the new water main and sewer system, either.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.