Definition of drain
transitive verb
1 obsolete : filter
2a : to draw off (liquid) gradually or completely drained all the water out of the poolb : to cause the gradual disappearance of drain the region's wealthc : to exhaust (see 1exhaust 1b) physically or emotionally feeling drained at the end of a long workday
3a : to make gradually dry drain a swampb : to carry away the surface water of the river that drains the valleyc : to deplete or empty by or as if by drawing off by degrees or in increments drained the country of its resourcesd : to empty by drinking the contents of drain a mug of beer
4 sports : drop 7c, sink drain the putt drained two free throws
intransitive verb
1a : to flow off graduallyb : to disappear gradually : dwindle his nervousness drained away, as it always did — H. A. Sinclair
2 : to become emptied or freed of liquid by its flowing or dropping waiting for the tub to drain
3 : to discharge surface or surplus water drains into the Gulf of Mexico
drainer
nounPeople Are Reading
Examples of drain in a Sentence
Drain the canned tomatoes before adding them to the pot.
The swamp has been drained.
I was waiting for the bathtub to drain.
The river drains into a lake.
Years of civil war have drained the country's resources.
The city's emergency fund has been drained.
I feel totally drained of energy this evening.
Recent Examples of drain from the Web
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Set on top of curds allowing them to drain for another five minutes.
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The most difficult choice, Menounos said, was to break the news to her mother and father, who were drained from Litsa’s deteriorating condition.
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The steady creep of government bureaucracy that drains the vitality and wealth of the people.
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Drain ginger and rinse under cold water; set aside.
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And insurers could deny coverage for emergency services like on-site EMT care and ambulance rides, which are high-cost items that could drain bank accounts in the span of minutes.
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A classic example of government dysfunction is a federal insurance program that helps pay to drain basements in millions of America’s second homes.
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Therefore, Voodoo rituals of the day had to hide from view, which meant–in the days before the city’s vast cypress forests were drained and developed–
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Winds moving in from the storm are so strong that Graham said standing water is going to be slow to drain.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'drain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of drain
Middle English draynen, from Old English drēahnian — more at dry
Synonym Discussion of drain
drain
Definition of drain
1 : a means (such as a pipe) by which usually liquid matter is drained
2a : the act of drainingb : a gradual outflow or withdrawal : depletion a net drain from the East of five million souls — G. W. Pierson
3 : something that causes depletion : burden a drain on the city's resources
4 electronics : an electrode in a field-effect transistor toward which charge carriers move — compare gate, source
down the drain
: to a state of being wasted or irretrievably lost All their hard work went down the drain.
Examples of drain in a Sentence
The drain in the bathtub is blocked.
Recent Examples of drain from the Web
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Untreated water then escapes into storm drains, where it is carried to local waterways.
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Christopher Newton, 23, was working as a carrier assistant in Northeast Washington in May 2016 when WJLA-7 television news notified his superiors of mail found in a storm drain near the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, authorities said.
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According to the city, smoke will not enter buildings unless there is defective plumbing or drain traps that are dried up.
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The trick is sustainability, not short-term profits, and that requires not just staunching the drain in customers but actively attracting new ones.
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JPMorgan tells banks to partner up as a U.S. deposit drains looms.
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Use tongs to lift out artichokes and drain, stem-side up, on paper towels.
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Drain lake or river water and keep drain plugs out during transport.
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For farro in the hull, cover with cold water, stir once and let soak, 25 minutes. Drain and rinse.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'drain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of drain
see 1drain
DRAIN Defined for English Language Learners
drain
playDefinition of drain for English Language Learners
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: to remove (liquid) from something by letting it flow away or out
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of a container : to become empty of a liquid
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of a liquid : to flow into, away from, or out of something
drain
Definition of drain for English Language Learners
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: something (such as a pipe) that is used for removing a liquid from a place or container
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: something that uses a lot of time, money, etc.
DRAIN Defined for Kids
Definition of drain for Students
drained
;draining
1 : to remove (liquid) from something by letting it flow away or out We need to drain water from the pool.
2 : to slowly make or become dry or empty drain a swamp
3 : to flow into, away from, or out of something The water slowly drained.
4 : to slowly disappear All the joy of the music drained out of him. — Mary Pope Osborne, Christmas in Camelot
5 : to tire out She was drained by the busy weekend.
Definition of drain for Students
1 : something used to remove a liquid the tub's drain
2 : something that slowly empties of or uses up The long trip was a drain on Grandma's strength.
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of drain
1a: to draw off (liquid) gradually or completely drain pus from an abscessb: to exhaust physically or emotionally
2: to carry away or give passage to a bodily fluid or a discharge from drain an abscess the eustachian tube drains the middle ear—H. G. Armstrong
intransitive verb
: to flow off gradually blood draining from a wound
drain
Medical Definition of drain
: a tube or cylinder usually of absorbent material for drainage of a wound—see cigarette drain
Learn More about drain
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for drain Spanish Central: Translation of drain Nglish: Translation of drain for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of drain for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about drain
Seen and Heard
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