septic tank
11
4.3
- noun
- /ˈsɛptɪk tæŋk/
:
fosa séptica
- The septic tank is buried underground to treat sewage from the house.
- septic tank additives
- septic tank effluent
- septic tank maintenance
Then they found him in the septic tank, pulled him out.
- Then they found him in the septic tank, pulled him out.
- On a certain day, a man fell into a septic tank.
- I mean, all these things work to promote the bacterial growth of your septic tank.
- Landscaper, septic tank pumper, chimney sweep, house painter and most important, volunteer fireman.
Examples
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That‘s the company that cleans our septic tank.
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Most of these pretreatment devices will use a septic tank for primary treatment.
Academic text (2001) -
Hey, I wonder where that old septic tank is.
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Let's get out of this septic tank.
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Got nowhere to go but the septic tank.
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Here to empty out the septic tank?
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Gonna need a whole new septic tank, new plumbing, the works.
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Connelly's septic tank broke again.
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The septic tank traps the solids, lets the water seep through a bed of gravel.
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Wastewater moves from the house into a septic tank where solids settle out and some organic matter is decomposed.
Academic text (2001)
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a tank used for sewage decomposed by bacteria' can be directly derived from combining 'septic' (infected/containing bacteria) with 'tank' (a large vessel). Although 'septic' is somewhat technical, the modifier+noun composition is transparent and has close equivalents in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words would likely understand it.
Etymology
Septic tank is a compound name for a large, underground tank where dirty water and solid waste are kept so tiny living things can break them down. The word septic points to 'rotten', so the name highlights that this container lets waste decay and become safer before it leaves the home.