# sewer

/ˈsuɝ/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sewer
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. waste pipe

noun · CEFR B2

an underground pipe or channel that carries away waste water and refuse from buildings.

For teachers: an artificial, usually subterranean conduit for carrying off waste water and refuse.

- The city is replacing the old sewer pipes to prevent flooding during heavy rain.
- Engineers discovered that the Victorian sewer system was struggling to cope with the increased volume of waste from the new housing development.

### 3. household official

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

a servant in a royal or noble house who arranged the table and served food.

For teachers: a high-ranking household official in a medieval or early modern noble house responsible for seating guests and serving dishes.

- The royal sewer directed the servants as they brought the feast into the hall.
- In the historical chronicle, the sewer is described as a figure of significant influence within the king's immediate domestic circle.

### 4. to install drainage

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to build a system of waste pipes in a specific area.

For teachers: to provide a district or building with a system of sewers for drainage.

- The council plans to sewer the remote village by the end of next year.
- The cost of sewering the mountainous region proved prohibitive for the local municipality, leading to a search for alternative waste solutions.

## Examples

- The workers are cleaning the sewer under the street.
- Heavy rainfall caused the old sewer to overflow, flooding the basement of the nearby apartment building.
- Modern urban planning relies on a sophisticated network of sewers to transport waste to treatment plants, preventing the spread of waterborne diseases in densely populated areas.

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