Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who sews: A sewer is someone who sews, especially as a profession or skilled activity.
   • An underground conduit for carrying off drainage water and waste matter: A sewer is a pipe or channel, usually underground, that carries away liquid and solid waste from buildings to a place for disposal or treatment.

Usage

• The word "sewer" is a countable noun. Its meaning is entirely dependent on context, as the two definitions are unrelated. The pronunciation is identical for both meanings (/ˈsoʊ.ɚ/).
• When referring to a person, it is often used in historical or professional contexts (e.g., a seamstress or tailor). When referring to the infrastructure, it is a common term in civil engineering and urban planning.

Examples

• Noun (Person who sews):
  • She was an expert sewer, able to create intricate embroidery.
  • The factory employed dozens of sewers to produce the garments.
• Noun (Waste pipe):
  • The city is upgrading its aging sewer system.
  • A blockage in the main sewer caused flooding in the street.

Advanced Usage

• "To be in the sewer" (idiomatic): To be in a state of ruin, failure, or worthlessness. This idiom uses the "waste pipe" meaning metaphorically.
  • After the scandal, his reputation was in the sewer.
• "Sewer gas": Foul-smelling and potentially dangerous gas that can escape from a sewer system.
  • The plumber checked for leaks to prevent sewer gas from entering the house.

Variants and Related Words

• Sewage (n): Waste matter, especially excrement, carried away in sewers.
  • The treatment plant processes millions of gallons of sewage daily.
• Sewerage (n): The system of sewers; the removal of waste materials by sewers.
  • The city's sewerage is managed by the public works department.
• Sew (v): To join, fasten, or repair something by making stitches with a needle and thread or a sewing machine.
  • She learned to sew her own clothes.

Synonyms

• For the person: Seamstress, tailor, stitcher, needleworker.
• For the pipe: Conduit, drain, channel, main, waste pipe.

Related Phrases

• Storm sewer: A sewer designed to carry off rainwater and surface drainage.
  • The heavy rain overwhelmed the storm sewers.
• Sanitary sewer: A sewer that carries domestic and industrial wastewater.
  • Sanitary sewers are separate from storm drains in this city.

Notes on Different Meanings

• The two primary meanings of "sewer" are homographs (words spelled the same) and homophones (words pronounced the same) but have completely different origins and meanings.
  • The "person who sews" meaning comes from the verb "to sew."
  • The "waste pipe" meaning comes from an older English word related to a conduit for draining water. They are distinct words that happen to share the same spelling and pronunciation in modern English. Context is essential for correct interpretation.

Noun

1. misfortune resulting in lost effort or money
   • his career was in the gutter
   • all that work went down the sewer
   • pensions are in the toilet
2. someone who sews
   • a sewer of fine gowns
3. a waste pipe that carries away sewage or surface water