Adjacent Words

cesspool definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a covered cistern; waste water and sewage flow into it [syn: cesspool, cesspit, sink, sump]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: perhaps by folk etymology from Middle English suspiral vent, tap on a main pipe, settling pool, from Anglo-French, suspirale vent, from suspirer to sigh, exhale, from Latin suspirare, literally, to draw a long breath — more at suspire Date: 1782 1. an underground reservoir for liquid waste (as household sewage) 2. a filthy, evil, or corrupt place or state <a cesspool of corruption and power>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 an underground container for the temporary storage of liquid waste or sewage. 2 a centre of corruption, depravity, etc. Etymology: perh. alt., after POOL(1), f. earlier cesperalle, f. suspiral vent, water-pipe, f. OF souspirail air-hole f. L suspirare breathe up, sigh (as SUB-, spirare breathe)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Cesspool Cess"pool` (-p[=oo]l`), n. [See Sesspol.] A cistern in the course, or the termination, of a drain, to collect sedimentary or superfluous matter; a privy vault; any receptacle of filth. [Written also sesspool.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(cesspools) A cesspool is the same as a cesspit. N-COUNT

Moby Thesaurus

Sodom, bog, cesspit, cloaca, cloaca maxima, den, drain, dump, garbage dump, marsh, mire, pandemonium, quagmire, septic tank, sewer, sink, sty, sump, swamp