waste-pipe

The plumber installs a new waste-pipe under the kitchen sink.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A pipe for carrying off waste matter: "waste-pipe" refers to a conduit, typically in a building's plumbing system, that conveys used water, sewage, or other waste materials away from sinks, toilets, or appliances to a drain or sewer.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The plumber replaced the old waste-pipe under the kitchen sink. (The pipe carrying dirty water from the sink was replaced.)
  • A blocked waste-pipe can cause flooding in the bathroom. (A clogged pipe for waste water leads to overflow.)

Advanced Usage

• "to go down the waste-pipe": to be discarded or wasted, often used figuratively.

  • All that money went down the waste-pipe after the failed investment. (The money was lost or wasted, like water flowing through a waste pipe.)

• "waste-pipe system": the network of pipes in a building designed to remove waste.

  • The entire waste-pipe system must be inspected annually. (All the pipes for waste removal need checking.)

Variants and Related Words

• Waste (n): unwanted or unusable material.

  • The factory produces a lot of industrial waste. (Unwanted byproducts.)

• Pipe (n): a tube used to convey liquids or gases.

  • The water pipe burst in the cold weather. (A tube for water.)

Synonyms

• Drainpipe: a pipe that carries away waste water or sewage.
• Sewer pipe: a pipe for conveying sewage.
• Outfall pipe: a pipe that discharges waste into a river or sea.

Phrasal Verbs

• (None directly associated with "waste-pipe" as a compound noun; however, related verbs like "pipe away" exist.)
  • Pipe away: to convey or remove via pipes.

    • The waste is piped away to the treatment plant. (The waste is sent through pipes to be processed.)

Related Idioms

• Like water down a waste-pipe: describing something that disappears quickly and wastefully.
  • His inheritance vanished like water down a waste-pipe. (His money was spent or lost rapidly and without benefit.)