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drainage

drainage

42 3.5
Removing liquid so it flows away from a place or object
  • noun
  • /ˈdreɪnɪdʒ/
: drenaje
  • To prevent water accumulation, proper drainage is essential in landscape design.
  • drainage system
  • drainage basin
  • drainage ditch

If we're having drainage issues, you can stop it.

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Examples

  • Over the next 6 weeks, two drainage procedures were done in a wind shelter.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Construction of canal systems for drainage and water-table management is often the first step.

    Academic text (2011)
  • So then all the drainage happens here.

  • If we're having drainage issues, you can stop it.

  • It's got incredible drainage, just amazing texture.

  • Civil engineering, the drainage of districts and lands.

  • There's an old drainage line just east of the church.

  • The road is narrow, with no shoulder and sometimes steep drainage ditches on the sides.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Poor irrigation and drainage practices in Iraq have devastated the natural river systems.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Although considered basic needs, water supply, drainage, and sanitation are not always an investment priority in megacities.

    Academic text (2008)

Synonyms

runoff
vsdrainage
  • US
23 3.8

Water that flows over land after rain because the ground cannot absorb it

describes controlled removal through channels or holes rather than excess surface flow
outflow
vsdrainage
  • Specialized
13 4.6

Movement of water, gas or money out of a place

is focused on removing liquid by allowing it to flow away through openings
drainage system
vsdrainage
3 3.5

A network of pipes and ditches that removes extra water from land

describes the removal process itself rather than the physical network
drain
vsdrainage
2 1.4

The act of letting liquid flow out

is the general process of removing liquid through channels or holes
drain system
vsdrainage
1 3.2

Pipes and channels that carry away extra water from an area

focuses on the process of letting liquid flow away rather than installed systems
effluence
vsdrainage
1 9.3

The flow of liquid waste out of a place like a factory

is the specific action of removing liquid via channels or holes
efflux
vsdrainage
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A flow of something out of a place, like water or chemicals

is the controlled removal process through channels rather than mere outward movement
dewatering
vsdrainage
  • Specialized
1 7.1

Removal of water from a site using pumps or drains

is a general removal process not limited to pumped construction work
drawing off
vsdrainage
1 6.4

The act of removing liquid from a container or place

is the ongoing removal process rather than a single act
derivation
vsdrainage
  • Specialized
1 7.4

Removing water from a river or source for use

is the broader process of allowing liquid to flow away through channels

Antonyms

166 2.1

A large amount of water covering land that is usually dry

48 3.4

A group of things gathered in one place over time

Compounds

A narrow channel dug in the ground that carries away extra water

A network of pipes and ditches that removes extra water from land

drainage well
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A hole that lets extra rain or water on the ground flow into the earth

drainage basin
  • Specialized
1 4.0

A large area of land where all the rain and rivers flow into the same river or sea

drainage area
  • Specialized
1 3.7

Area of land that sends water into a river or lake

How Fast

runoff
  • US
23 3.8
outflow
  • Specialized
13 4.6
drainage
42 3.5
seepage
7 5.7

Surface Forms

drainage singular
drainages plural

Morphology

drainage = drain (transparent) = drain + age

The noun is regularly formed from the verb 'drain' with the nominalizing suffix '-age' meaning the process or system of draining.

Etymology

Drainage comes from the simple verb drain, which means 'to let water out' or 'draw off'. The ending -age turns that action into a thing, so drainage is the system or process of letting water or other liquid flow away — like a drainpipe that keeps a field, a house, or a wound from filling with water.