water main

noun

: a pipe or conduit for conveying water

Examples of water main in a Sentence

The water main burst and flooded the street.
Recent Examples on the Web Over the past month, there have also been three water main breaks. Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2024 The project includes new water mains, sewers, sidewalks, curbs and roads between Mannheim Road and Schiller Boulevard east to Scott Street and Schiller Boulevard. Elizabeth Owens-Schiele, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023 An area of Dixie Highway near the intersection of Hill Street is closed following a water main break in the Algonquin neighborhood, according to Louisville Water. Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 3 Apr. 2024 Those conditions include sewage backups, water main breaks, poor infrastructure and refusal to make repairs. Detroit Free Press, 23 Mar. 2024 In Memphis, officials told residents to boil drinking water starting Friday after the cold weather caused many water mains to break causing water pressure to drop. Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2024 About a month ago, a water main near his parents' home burst. Pien Huang, NPR, 1 Apr. 2024 Lead pipes were often used to connect homes to the water main before they were banned in 1986. Mira Cheng, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024 Public Works oversaw the replacement of an additional 2,900 feet of old concrete water main with new piping. Sherry Greenfield, Baltimore Sun, 26 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'water main.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of water main was in 1776

Dictionary Entries Near water main

Cite this Entry

“Water main.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/water%20main. Accessed 2 May. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on water main

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