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

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 video closed with “Top Gun” actor Tom Cruise perched atop the Paramount water tower.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

“We did everything right,” said St. Clair Mayor Bill Cedar, who was part of an effort to woo Magna with tax breaks and the construction of a new water tower to supply the facility.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 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

Then both he and Ben scouted the terrain beneath the water tower half expecting the tubercular, sallow face of Junior Palmer to appear as an apparition before the long climb to the catwalk could begin.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy