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Synonyms

water system

American  

noun

  1. a river and all its branches.

  2. a system of supplying water, as throughout a metropolitan area.


water system British  

noun

  1. a river and all its tributaries

  2. a system for supplying water to a community

"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 system

First recorded in 1825–35

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.

See Examples For:

That said, one hacker can wreak no small amount of havoc, as one compromised water system might serve tens of thousands of people.

From Slate Aug. 19, 2026

The EPA has warned that hackers who penetrate a water system could also alter treatment chemicals to hazardous levels.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 8, 2026

Baroness Sheehan, the committee chair, said: "England is at risk of sleepwalking into serious water scarcity if the government does not act now to safeguard the water system."

From BBC Jul. 30, 2026

Officials have made progress in fixing a massive water system rupture on the Sunset Strip that sent 17 million gallons of water into surrounding neighborhoods.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 21, 2026

I was walking back toward the stairs, quietly inhaling the smell of the thirty-two freshly copied diagrams of the New York City water system, when Marcus came out of the stairwell reading a book.

From "When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead

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