Adjacent Words

Drain definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

DRAIN, v.t.
1. To filter; to cause to pass through some porous substance.
Salt water, drained through twenty vessels of earth, hath become fresh.
2. To empty or clear of liquor, by causing the liquor to drop or run off slowly; as, to drain a vessel or its contents.
3. To make dry; to exhaust of water or other liquor, by causing it to flow off in channels, or through porous substances; as, to drain land; to drain a swamp or marsh.
4. To empty; to exhaust; to draw off gradually; as, a foreign war drains a country of specie.
DRAIN, v.i.
1. To flow off gradually; as, let the water of low ground drain off.
2. To be emptied of liquor, by flowing or dropping; as, let the vessel stand and drain; let the cloth hand and drain.
DRAIN, n. A channel through which water or other liquid flows off; particularly, a trench or ditch to convey water from wet land; a watercourse; a sewer; a sink.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: emptying something accomplished by allowing liquid to run out of it [syn: drain, drainage]
2: tube inserted into a body cavity (as during surgery) to remove unwanted material
3: a pipe through which liquid is carried away [syn: drain, drainpipe, waste pipe]
4: a gradual depletion of energy or resources; "a drain on resources"; "a drain of young talent by emigration" v
1: flow off gradually; "The rain water drains into this big vat" [syn: drain, run out]
2: deplete of resources; "The exercise class drains me of energy"
3: empty of liquid; drain the liquid from; "We drained the oil tank"
4: make weak; "Life in the camp drained him" [syn: enfeeble, debilitate, drain]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English draynen, from Old English dr?ahnian — more at dry Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. obsolete filter 2. a. to draw off (liquid) gradually or completely <drained all the water out> b. to cause the gradual disappearance of <drain the region's wealth> c. to exhaust physically or emotionally <feeling drained at the end of a long workday> 3. a. to make gradually dry <drain a swamp> b. to carry away the surface water of <the river that drains the valley> c. to deplete or empty by or as if by drawing off by degrees or in increments <drained the country of its resources> d. to empty by drinking the contents of <drain a mug of beer> 4. drop 7c, sink <drained the putt> intransitive verb 1. a. to flow off gradually b. to disappear gradually ; dwindle 2. to become emptied or freed of liquid by its flowing or dropping <waiting for the tub to drain> 3. to discharge surface or surplus water Synonyms: see deplete • drainer noun II. noun Date: 1552 1. a means (as a pipe) by which usually liquid matter is drained 2. a. the act of draining b. a gradual outflow or withdrawal ; depletion 3. something that causes depletion ; burden 4. an electrode in a field-effect transistor toward which charge carriers move — compare gate, source

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. 1 tr. draw off liquid from, esp.: a make (land etc.) dry by providing an outflow for moisture. b (of a river) carry off the superfluous water of (a district). c remove purulent matter from (an abscess). 2 tr. (foll. by off, away) draw off (liquid) esp. by a pipe. 3 intr. (foll. by away, off, through) flow or trickle away. 4 intr. (of a wet cloth, a vessel, etc.) become dry as liquid flows away (put it there to drain). 5 tr. (often foll. by of) exhaust or deprive (a person or thing) of strength, resources, property, etc. 6 tr. a drink (liquid) to the dregs. b empty (a vessel) by drinking the contents. --n. 1 a a channel, conduit, or pipe carrying off liquid, esp. an artificial conduit for water or sewage. b a tube for drawing off the discharge from an abscess etc. 2 a constant outflow, withdrawal, or expenditure (a great drain on my resources). Phrases and idioms: down the drain colloq. lost, wasted. laugh like a drain laugh copiously; guffaw. Etymology: OE dre(a)hnian f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Drain Drain, v. i. 1. To flow gradually; as, the water of low ground drains off. 2. To become emptied of liquor by flowing or dropping; as, let the vessel stand and drain.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Drain Drain, n. 1. The act of draining, or of drawing off; gradual and continuous outflow or withdrawal; as, the drain of specie from a country. 2. That means of which anything is drained; a channel; a trench; a water course; a sewer; a sink. 3. pl. The grain from the mashing tub; as, brewers' drains. [Eng.] --Halliwell. Box drain, Counter drain. See under Box, Counter. Right of drain (Law), an easement or servitude by which one man has a right to convey water in pipes through or over the estate of another. --Kent.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Drain Drain, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Drained; p. pr. & vb. n. Draining.] [AS. drehnigean to drain, strain; perh. akin to E. draw.] 1. To draw off by degrees; to cause to flow gradually out or off; hence, to cause the exhaustion of. Fountains drain the water from the ground adjacent. --Bacon. But it was not alone that the he drained their treasure and hampered their industry. --Motley. 2. To exhaust of liquid contents by drawing them off; to make gradually dry or empty; to remove surface water, as from streets, by gutters, etc.; to deprive of moisture; hence, to exhaust; to empty of wealth, resources, or the like; as, to drain a country of its specie. Sinking waters, the firm land to drain, Filled the capacious deep and formed the main. --Roscommon. 3. To filter. Salt water, drained through twenty vessels of earth, hath become fresh. --Bacon.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(drains, draining, drained) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. If you drain a liquid from a place or object, you remove the liquid by causing it to flow somewhere else. If a liquid drains somewhere, it flows there. Miners built the tunnel to drain water out of the mines... Now the focus is on draining the water... Springs and rivers that drain into lakes carry dissolved nitrates and phosphates... VERB: V n adv/prep, V n, V prep/adv 2. If you drain a place or object, you dry it by causing water to flow out of it. If a place or object drains, water flows out of it until it is dry. Vast numbers of people have been mobilised to drain flooded land... The soil drains freely and slugs aren't a problem. VERB: V n, V 3. If you drain food or if food drains, you remove the liquid that it has been in, especially after it has been cooked or soaked in water. Drain the pasta well, arrange on four plates and pour over the sauce... Wash the leeks thoroughly and allow them to drain. VERB: V n, V 4. A drain is a pipe that carries water or sewage away from a place, or an opening in a surface that leads to the pipe. Tony built his own house and laid his own drains. N-COUNT 5. If the colour or the blood drains or is drained from someone's face, they become very pale. You can also say that someone's face drains or is drained of colour. (LITERARY) Harry felt the colour drain from his face... Thacker's face drained of colour... Jock's face had been suddenly drained of all colour... VERB: V from n, V of n, be V-ed of n 6. If something drains you, it leaves you feeling physically and emotionally exhausted. My emotional turmoil had drained me. VERB: V n • drained United left the pitch looking stunned and drained. ADJ • draining This work is physically exhausting and emotionally draining. ADJ 7. If you say that something is a drain on an organization's finances or resources, you mean that it costs the organization a large amount of money, and you do not consider that it is worth it. ...an ultra-modern printing plant, which has been a big drain on resources... N-SING: usu adj N, N on n see also brain drain 8. If you say that a country's or a company's resources or finances are drained, you mean that they are used or spent completely. The state's finances have been drained by war... The company has steadily drained its cash reserves. VERB: be V-ed, V n 9. If you say that something is going down the drain, you mean that it is being destroyed or wasted. (INFORMAL) They were aware that their public image was rapidly going down the drain... PHRASE: usu PHR after v 10. If you say that a business is going down the drain, you mean that it is failing financially. (INFORMAL) Small local stores are going down the drain. PHRASE: usu PHR after v

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Draw off. 2. Empty, exhaust. 3. Make dry, clear of water or moisture. II. v. n. 1. Flow off. 2. Become dry. III. n. Sewer, channel, trench, ditch, water-course.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

Gin: so called from the diuretic qualities imputed to that liquor.

Moby Thesaurus

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