English
drain
see also: Drain
Pronunciation Noun

drain (plural drains)

  1. (chiefly, US, Canada) A conduit allowing liquid to flow out of an otherwise contained volume; a plughole (UK)
    The drain in the kitchen sink is clogged.
  2. (chiefly, UK) An access point or conduit for rainwater that drains directly downstream in a (drainage) basin without going through sewers or water treatment in order to prevent or belay floods.
  3. Something consuming resources and providing nothing in return.
    That rental property is a drain on our finances.
  4. (vulgar) An act of urination.
  5. (electronics) One terminal of a field effect transistor (FET).
  6. (pinball) An outhole.
  7. (slang, dated) A drink.
Translations Translations
  • Spanish: aliviadero
Translations Translations
  • Russian: моче́ние
Translations Verb

drain (drains, present participle draining; past and past participle drained)

  1. (intransitive) To lose liquid.
    The clogged sink drained slowly.
    • Knock knock.
      Who's there?
      Dwayne.
      Dwayne who?
      Drain the bathtub, I'm drowning.
  2. (intransitive) To flow gradually.
    The water of low ground drains off.
  3. (transitive, ergative) To cause liquid to flow out of.
    Please drain the sink. It's full of dirty water.
  4. (transitive, ergative) To convert a perennially wet place into a dry one.
    They had to drain the swampy land before the parking lot could be built.
  5. (transitive) To deplete of energy or resources.
    The stress of this job is really draining me.
  6. (transitive) To draw off by degrees; to cause to flow gradually out or off; hence, to exhaust.
    • 1626, Francis Bacon, Sylva Sylvarum, Or, A Naturall Historie: In Ten Centuries
      Fountains drain the water from the ground adjacent.
    • But it was not alone that he drained their treasure and hampered their industry.
  7. (transitive, obsolete) To filter.
    • 1626, Francis Bacon, Sylva Sylvarum, Or, A Naturall Historie: In Ten Centuries
      Salt water, drained through twenty vessels of earth, hath become fresh.
  8. (intransitive, pinball) To fall off the bottom of the playfield.
Translations Translations Translations Translations
Drain
Proper noun
  1. Surname


This text is extracted from the Wiktionary and it is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license | Terms and conditions | Privacy policy 0.002
Offline English dictionary