sewer
gb/sˈuɚ/ us/sˈuɚ/
B2
English
~ 8600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
Underground pipe carrying waste water
An underground pipe that takes dirty water and waste away from homes and streets.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "sewer" with "sewage." "Sewer" is the pipe or tunnel, while "sewage" is the dirty water and waste that flows through it.
Synonyms
drain (Often refers to a surface opening or pipe for removing water, especially rainwater, and can be less specific about carrying sewage.)
Collocations
sewer system
|storm sewer
|sanitary sewer
|sewer line
|sewer pipe
|sewer network
Themes
infrastructure
|environment
|engineering
|housing
|daily_life
Examples
- The city is investing millions to repair its aging sewer system.
- Heavy rain overwhelmed the storm sewer and flooded the streets.
- Workers had to dig up the road to replace a broken sewer line.
- A strong smell was coming from the sewer near the corner.
- New regulations require factories to treat their waste before it enters the sewer.
Learner examples
- Dirty water from the house goes into the sewer.
- They are fixing the old sewer under our street.
- The city built a new sewer to stop the flooding.
- The smell from the sewer was very strong.
- Rainwater goes into the sewer under the road.
Noun
B2
entity
2
Person who sews clothes or fabric
A person who makes or fixes clothes or other things by sewing.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse the two nouns "sewer" /ˈsuːər/ (person who sews) and "sewer" /ˈsuːər/ (pipe for waste). Context is the only way to tell them apart in writing. In speaking, learners may also confuse "sewer" (person) with the verb "sew" /soʊ/.
Synonyms
seamstress (Usually refers to a woman who sews clothes professionally; "sewer" is gender‑neutral and can be professional or hobbyist.)
Collocations
skilled sewer
|experienced sewer
|a careful sewer
|a sewer of dresses
|a beginner sewer
Themes
work
|crafts
|fashion
|clothing
Examples
- She’s an excellent sewer and makes most of her own clothes.
- The costume shop is looking for an experienced sewer to help before the holiday season.
- As a beginner sewer, he practices on old sheets and towels.
- The pattern is simple enough for a home sewer to follow.
- A careful sewer will always press the seams as they go.
Learner examples
- My mother is a very good sewer.
- The dress was made by a local sewer.
- I want to become a better sewer.
- The company hired a new sewer for the factory.
- As a sewer, she makes clothes for her friends.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
3
Very dirty or morally rotten place
A place or situation that is very dirty or full of bad and wrong behavior.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this use is figurative and very negative. It is used mainly to criticize places or systems, not to describe small everyday messes (for those, words like "mess" or "dump" are more natural).
Synonyms
cesspool (Strongly negative word often used figuratively for a place full of corruption or dirty behavior; a bit more formal or vivid than "sewer.")
Antonyms
paradise (Describes a place that is perfectly pleasant and happy, which contrasts with a "sewer" as extremely unpleasant or corrupt.)
Collocations
a sewer of corruption
|a moral sewer
|the city is a sewer
|online sewer
|political sewer
Themes
emotions
|society
|evaluation
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Many people call the comment section a sewer of hate and misinformation.
- Without proper regulation, politics can turn into a sewer of corruption.
- The river has become a sewer for industrial waste.
- He left the company, saying it was a moral sewer where anything could be bought.
- Some social media sites are a sewer of personal attacks and lies.
Learner examples
- They say the internet can be a sewer of hate.
- He thinks the city is a sewer of crime and drugs.
- The newspaper called the government a sewer of corruption.
- She left the job because it felt like a moral sewer.
- That bar is a sewer full of fights and drugs.
Verb
technical
C1
action
4
Provide an area with sewers
To build or put sewers in a place so that dirty water can go away safely.
Usage pattern:
to sewer [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners almost never use "sewer" as a verb and instead use phrases like "build sewers" or "install sewers," which are more common in everyday English. The verb is mainly used in technical or official writing.
Synonyms
drain ("Drain" is more general and common; it can mean removing liquid in many ways, not only by building sewer pipes.)
Collocations
properly sewered
|fully sewered
|to sewer a town
|to sewer the development
|unsewered areas
Themes
engineering
|infrastructure
|environment
|housing
|work
Examples
- The city plans to sewer the remaining rural neighborhoods within ten years.
- New housing projects must be fully sewered before residents can move in.
- Many villages in the region are still not sewered and rely on septic tanks.
- The report recommends sewering the industrial zone to prevent groundwater contamination.
Learner examples
- The government wants to sewer all villages in the area.
- They will sewer the new housing project next year.
- Some small towns are not fully sewered yet.
- Engineers are working to sewer the island.
- It is expensive to sewer every house in the valley.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sewer
IPA
GB/sˈuɚ/
US/sˈuɚ/
Syllables & stress
sew - er (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (sew)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sewer
- Plural: sewers
Word family
Expressions
sanitary sewer
1/sˈænɪtˌɛɹi sˈuɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
Sewer for household and industrial waste water
A sewer that carries dirty water and waste from homes and buildings, but not rainwater.
Examples
- All houses in the neighborhood are now connected to the sanitary sewer.
- The city is upgrading its sanitary sewer to prevent leaks into the river.
sanitary sewer
1/sˈænɪtˌɛɹi sˈuɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
sewage pipe system
a pipe system that carries dirty water to treatment
Examples
- The basement flooded when the sanitary sewer backed up.
- New houses must connect to the sanitary sewer line.
sewer line
1/sˈuɚ lˈaɪn/
fixed phrase
Section of pipe in a sewer system
A pipe in the ground that is part of the sewer system and carries dirty water from one place to another.
Examples
- Tree roots had broken the sewer line leading from the house to the street.
- They had to dig up the yard to replace the old sewer line.
sewer rat
1/sˈuɚ ɹˈæt/
idiom
informal
Very dirty or nasty person (insult)
An insulting word for a person who is seen as very dirty, bad, or low in character.
Examples
- He called the corrupt officials "sewer rats" for stealing from the poor.
- The movie’s villain is a real sewer rat who betrays everyone around him.
sewer system
1/sˈuɚ sˈɪstəm/
fixed phrase
Network of sewers in an area
All the sewers and pipes in a place that take away dirty water and waste.
Examples
- The city’s sewer system is over a hundred years old and needs major repairs.
- An effective sewer system is essential to protect public health.
storm sewer
1/stˈɔɹm sˈuɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
Sewer for carrying rainwater away
A special sewer that takes rainwater from streets and roads away from the area.
Examples
- Leaves blocked the storm sewer and caused the street to flood.
- New regulations require separate storm sewers and sanitary sewers in new developments.