ENGLISH
REFERENCE

drains

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈdɹeɪnz// UK //dɹˈeɪnz// drains

v. to remove liquid from something. You use this when you let water flow out of a sink, a pan, or a flooded room.

v. to remove liquid from a container or area by allowing it to flow out. Transitive when referring to the liquid or container; intransitive when referring to the source of the liquid.


SIMPLE

Drain the pasta before adding the sauce.

CONTEXTUAL

She drained the excess oil from the fried chicken onto paper towels.

COMPLEX

The city engineers drained the flooded basement using heavy-duty pumps, preventing further structural damage to the foundation.

Synonyms
Usage

Transitive with a direct object (drain the water) or intransitive (the water drains).

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