sewer

1 of 3

noun (1)

sew·​er ˈsü-ər How to pronounce sewer (audio)
ˈsu̇r
: a medieval household officer often of high rank in charge of serving the dishes at table and sometimes of seating and tasting

sewer

2 of 3

noun (2)

sew·​er ˈsō-ər How to pronounce sewer (audio)
: one that sews

sewer

3 of 3

noun (3)

sew·​er ˈsü-ər How to pronounce sewer (audio)
ˈsu̇r
: an artificial usually subterranean conduit to carry off sewage and sometimes surface water (as from rainfall)

Examples of sewer in a Sentence

Noun (2) a good sewer who designs her own clothing
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Officials at the Water Reclamation Authority are pursuing new goals after the utility was officially released last year from a pair of longstanding legal agreements that required the utility to address sewer overflows, leading to major investments across the system. Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025 In addition, the town must ensure infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer systems adequately supports the increase in population and businesses and includes affordable housing units. Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2025 The Unified Government created a set of incentives, which include cutting permit fees and water and sewer connection fees, for people who want to build on its land bank property to try to encourage redevelopment. Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025 Calvo also proposed to cut water and sewer costs. Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sewer

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French asseour, literally, seater, from Anglo-French asseer to seat — more at assize

Noun (3)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from assewer, essiver to drain, from Vulgar Latin *exaquare, from Latin ex- + aqua water — more at island

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sewer was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sewer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sewer. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

sewer

1 of 2 noun
sew·​er ˈsō(-ə)r How to pronounce sewer (audio)
: one that sews

sewer

2 of 2 noun
sew·​er ˈsü-ər How to pronounce sewer (audio)
ˈsu̇(-ə)r
: a usually covered drain to carry off water and sewage

More from Merriam-Webster on sewer

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