sewer

UK: /ˈsuːə^r/ US: /ˈsuɚ/ ,(so̅o̅′ər; Clothing sō′ər))

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sew•er¹ /ˈsuɚ/   n. [countable]

1. Civil Engineering an artificial passage, usually underground, for carrying off waste water and refuse, as in a town or city:
   The sewers overflowed.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sew•er¹  (so̅o̅′ər), n. 

1. Civil Engineering an artificial conduit, usually underground, for carrying off waste water and refuse, as in a town or city.

v.t. 

2. Civil Engineering to provide or equip with sewers:
   a tax increase necessary to sewer the neighborhood.

• Latin *exaquāria drain for carrying water off, equivalent. to Latin ex- ex- + aqu(a) water + -āria, feminine of -ārius -ary; see sew², -er²
• dialect, dialectal Old French se(u)wiere overflow channel (compare Old French ess(e)ouer(e) ditch)
• late Middle English suer(e) 1375–1425

sew′er•less, adj. 
sew′er•like′, adj. 

sew•er²  (sō′ər), n. 

1. Clothing a person or thing that sews.

• 1350–1400; Middle English; see sew¹, -er¹

sew•er³  (so̅o̅′ər), n. 

1. a former household officer or head servant in charge of the service of the table.

• Latin assidēre to attend upon; see assiduous) + -our -or²
• Anglo-French asseour seater, equivalent. to Old French asse(oir) to seat (
• Middle English, aphetic 1300–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sewer / ˈsuːə/ noun

1. a drain or pipe, esp one that is underground, used to carry away surface water or sewage

verb

1. (transitive) to provide with sewers

Etymology: 15th Century: from Old French esseveur, from essever to drain, from Vulgar Latin exaquāre (unattested), from Latin ex-¹ + aqua water

sewer / ˈsəʊə/ noun

1. a person or thing that sews

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sew¹ /soʊ/   v., sewed, sewn/soʊn/   or sewed, sew•ing. 

1. Clothing to join or attach (one or more things) by stitches: [~ + object]
   He sewed a button on his shirt.
   [no object]
   I learned how to sew at an early age.
2. Informal Terms sew up, [~ + up + object] to accomplish or control successfully:
   to sew up a deal; to sew up enough votes for an early nomination.

sew•er, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sew¹  (sō), v., sewed, sewn or sewed, sew•ing. 
v.t. 

1. Clothing to join or attach by stitches.
2. Clothing to make, repair, etc., (a garment) by such means.
3. Clothing to enclose or secure with stitches:
   to sew flour in a bag.
4. Clothing to close (a hole, wound, etc.) by means of stitches (usually fol. by up).

v.i. 

5. Clothing to work with a needle and thread or with a sewing machine.
6. sew up:
   • Informal Terms to get or have a monopoly of;
     control exclusively.
   • Informal Terms to complete or conclude (arrangements, negotiations, etc.) successfully:
     They were about to sew up the deal when the argument started.
   • to gain or be assured of:
     He tried to sew up as many votes as possible before the convention.

• bef. 900; Middle English sewen, Old English siw(i)an; cognate with Old High German siuwan, Gothic siujan, Latin suere (see suture); akin to seam

sew′a•ble, adj., n. 

sew²  (so̅o̅), v., sewed, sew•ing, n. [Naut.]
v.t. 

1. to ground (a vessel) at low tide (sometimes fol by up).

v.i. 

2. (of a vessel) to be grounded at low tide.

n. 

3. the amount of additional water necessary to float a grounded vessel.

• Vulgar Latin *exaquāre, equivalent. to Latin ex- ex-¹ + aqu(a) water + -āre infinitive suffix
• Middle French sewer, aphetic variant of essewer
• 1505–15