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drainage system

drainage system

3 3.5
A network of pipes and ditches that removes extra water from land
  • noun
  • /ˈdreɪnɪdʒ ˈsɪstəm/
translation icon : sistema de drenaje
  • Adoption of innovations such as these should soon lead to improved drainage systems for the nation's breadbasket.
  • drainage system and sewer
  • nation's drainage systems
  • water and drainage systems

Examples

  • A substantial engineering effort was needed to repair the damage and install a drainage system in each camp.

    Academic text (2005)
  • The residents, it turned out, had been trying for years to obtain sewer and drainage systems for the area.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Any floodwater will then fall into a drainage system below the water barrier.

    Blog text (13)
  • All the runoff goes down drainage systems and gets dumped into the nearest river or lake.

    Blog text (31)
  • Basil inches his way through the tiny crawl space of the drainage system.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The Buffalo Bayou drainage system is sluggish and flood-prone due to substantially level topography and poor soil permeability.

    Academic text (2006)
  • The city invested significant resources to build a reliable drainage system to prevent flooding during heavy rains.

  • Engineers designed a new drainage system to effectively manage stormwater and reduce waterlogging in the neighborhoods.

  • The agricultural land thrived after the installation of a modern drainage system that removed excess water quickly.

Synonyms

storm drain
vsdrainage system
18 3.0

A pipe under the street that carries away rainwater

is broader including natural channels and open ditches not just underground pipes
storm sewer
vsdrainage system
  • US
1 3.9

An underground drain that carries rain and surface water from streets and roofs, not waste water

is more general including open channels and ditches as well as underground parts
drain system
vsdrainage system
1 3.2

Pipes and channels that carry away extra water from an area

is broader covering both natural ditches and artificial channels rather than only built networks

How Extensive

sewer system
  • Specialized
14 3.2
drainage system
3 3.5
gutter
52 1.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

drainage + system

The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'drainage' (removal of water) with 'system' (a collection of components), yielding a network for removing excess water. This is a straightforward compositional noun phrase following common cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand it.

Etymology

Drainage system comes from the simple image of many drains, like pipes or ditches, that carry water away from a place. People built these drains to 'remove' extra water and stop flooding, so the term now means a network that takes away extra water.