drainage

drainage — noun

1. the network of pipes, channels, or ditches that carries rainwater and waste liqu

1.nounB2
Definition

the network of pipes, channels, or ditches that carries rainwater and waste liquids away from buildings, roads, and other places to a treatment or release point.

Example

The old drainage in the city centre cannot handle the sudden heavy storms we get.

drainage + handle [volume of water] — capacity failure

Eli fixed the drainage around his house after water seeped into the basement.

drainage around [location] — physical infrastructure

Common collocations
  • drainage system
  • drainage pipe
  • drainage channel
  • drainage ditch
  • urban drainage
  • drainage problem
  • drainage improvement
  • drainage project
  • surface drainage
  • drainage work
Synonyms
  • sewer system

    specifically for waste water from buildings, usually underground

  • drain network

    emphasises the connected pipes rather than the overall system

  • runoff management

    more formal; focuses on controlling surface water rather than removing it

Antonyms
  • waterlogging

    the problem that occurs when drainage is absent or fails

Grammar Patterns

uncountable — never 'a drainage' or 'drainages'

often used as a noun modifier: drainage system, drainage pipe

Usage Note

As an uncountable noun, drainage cannot be used with 'a' or in the plural form. It refers either to the infrastructure itself or to the process of water flowing away. When talking about a single pipe, use 'drain' instead.

Common Mistakes

The city built new drainages along the main road.
The city built new drains along the main road.
drainages is not a standard plural; use drains for individual pipes.
There is a drainage in the kitchen floor.
There is a drain in the kitchen floor.
use drain for a single opening; drainage describes the whole system.

2. the speed or ease with which water moves downward through soil or another materi

2.nounB2
Definition

the speed or ease with which water moves downward through soil or another material, rather than staying on the surface or making the ground too wet.

Example

Sandy soils usually have excellent drainage, so water never stays on the surface for long.

excellent/poor/good drainage — quality of soil

Xiu added sand and compost to improve the drainage of the clay in her garden.

improve the drainage — active intervention

Common collocations
  • good drainage
  • poor drainage
  • excellent drainage
  • natural drainage
  • soil drainage
  • drainage capacity
  • improve drainage
  • drainage layer
  • drainage problem
  • free drainage
Synonyms
  • soil permeability

    more technical; used in engineering and earth science contexts

  • water infiltration

    focuses on the downward movement into the soil rather than the overall ability

Antonyms
  • waterlogging

    the condition of soil that stays too wet because drainage is poor

  • compaction

    a cause of poor drainage, when soil is pressed too tight for water to pass through

Grammar Patterns

uncountable — often used with an adjective: good drainage / poor drainage / natural drainage

Usage Note

This sense is used almost exclusively with an adjective such as good, poor, excellent, or natural. It is most common in gardening, agriculture, and construction contexts. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 describes the built infrastructure (pipes, channels), whereas sense 2 describes a natural property of the soil itself.

Common Mistakes

The land has a good drainage.
The land has good drainage.
never add 'a' before an uncountable noun.
The drainage of the soil is quick.
The soil has good drainage.
more natural phrasing uses have/has + adjective + drainage.

Word family

  • drain
    verbB1
  • drain
    nounB1
  • drained
    adjectiveB2
  • draining
    adjectiveC1
  • undrained
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Drainage (sense 1) is the broadest term — it describes the whole system or process that removes water from a place. A drain is a single pipe, channel, or opening that carries water away ('The kitchen drain is clogged'). Sewer is more specific: it refers to the underground pipes that carry waste water from toilets and sinks to a treatment plant ('The sewer backed up after the heavy rain'). Runoff is the water itself that flows across land surfaces, not the infrastructure ('Chemical runoff from farms polluted the river'). In short: drainage is the system, a drain is one component, sewers handle waste, and runoff is the moving water. Example: 'The city upgraded its drainage by adding new drains and separating storm water from the sewer system to reduce polluted runoff.'

drain ↗sewer ↗runoff

Common collocations

Nouns

  • drainage system
  • drainage pipe
  • drainage channel
  • drainage ditch
  • drainage basin
  • drainage area

Phrases

  • good drainage
  • poor drainage
  • natural drainage
  • improve drainage
  • drainage problem

Prepositions

  • drainage of [area]
  • drainage from [source]
  • drainage into [body of water]
  • drainage in [location]

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishFrenchEnglish

Drainage comes from the verb drain + the suffix -age, which turns a process into a noun meaning 'the act or system of doing something'. The verb drain traces back to Old English drēahnian (to strain liquid out) and further to a Proto-Germanic root *draug- (to dry). The suffix -age entered English through French (from Latin -aticum). Drainage has been used since the 1500s to describe both the process of removing water and the pipes or channels that do the job.