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

The back-to-back atmospheric rivers unleashed more water than some rivers, streams, and drainage systems can handle. —Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025

The team identified 16 major drainage basins, each spanning at least 38,610 square miles (100,000 square kilometers), the same minimum size used to define large river basins on Earth. —Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 11 Dec. 2025

Snow that melts and then refreezes in your neighbor’s yard can lead to injury, property damage, or drainage problems that may open you up to a lawsuit. —Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Dec. 2025

Best planted in late fall or winter, amend the soil with some coffee grounds to improve drainage. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 Dec. 2025

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)