drainage

noun

drain·​age ˈdrā-nij 

1

: the act, process, or mode of draining

also : something drained off

2

: a device for draining : drain

also : a system of drains

3

: an area or district drained

Examples of drainage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Nor have complex land improvements like drainage or irrigation or flood control developed in a system imagined by private-sector maximalist author Ayn Rand. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 July 2026

In Chaplin, a $1,938,092 project on Lynch Road and Chewink Road will repair intersection drainage and surface reclamation. — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026

These areas were under significant threat because of drainage and development, a threat that the project intended to address through scientific research, public education, and conservation initiatives. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026

Most of the country lacks a public drainage network and relies on septic tanks to dispose of wastewater, Cueto said. — Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

drainage

noun

drain·​age ˈdrā-nij 

1

a

: the act of draining

b

: something drained off

2

: a method of draining

also : a system of drains

Medical Definition

drainage

noun

drain·​age ˈdrā-nij 

1

: the act or process of drawing off fluids from a cavity or wound by means of suction or gravity

2

: a process of releasing internal conflicts or pent-up feelings (as hostility or guilt)