DRAIN

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does drain mean? 

• DRAIN (noun)
  The noun DRAIN has 4 senses:

1. emptying something accomplished by allowing liquid to run out of it
2. tube inserted into a body cavity (as during surgery) to remove unwanted material
3. a pipe through which liquid is carried away
4. a gradual depletion of energy or resources

  Familiarity information: DRAIN used as a noun is uncommon.

• DRAIN (verb)
  The verb DRAIN has 4 senses:

1. flow off gradually
2. deplete of resources
3. empty of liquid; drain the liquid from
4. make weak

  Familiarity information: DRAIN used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DRAIN (noun)

Meaning:

Emptying something accomplished by allowing liquid to run out of it

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

drain; drainage

Hypernyms ("drain" is a kind of...):

emptying; evacuation; voidance (the act of removing the contents of something)

Meaning:

Tube inserted into a body cavity (as during surgery) to remove unwanted material

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("drain" is a kind of...):

tube; tubing (conduit consisting of a long hollow object (usually cylindrical) used to hold and conduct objects or liquids or gases)

Domain category:

surgery (the branch of medical science that treats disease or injury by operative procedures)

Meaning:

A pipe through which liquid is carried away

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

drainpipe; waste pipe; drain

Hypernyms ("drain" is a kind of...):

pipage; pipe; piping (a long tube made of metal or plastic that is used to carry water or oil or gas etc.)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "drain"):

culvert (a transverse and totally enclosed drain under a road or railway)

scupper (drain that allows water on the deck of a vessel to flow overboard)

cloaca; sewer; sewerage (a waste pipe that carries away sewage or surface water)

soil pipe (drain that conveys liquid waste from toilets, etc.)

trap (drain consisting of a U-shaped section of drainpipe that holds liquid and so prevents a return flow of sewer gas)

Meaning:

A gradual depletion of energy or resources

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context examples:

a drain on resources / a drain of young talent by emigration

Hypernyms ("drain" is a kind of...):

depletion (the act of decreasing something markedly)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "drain"):

drawing; drawing off (act of getting or draining something such as electricity or a liquid from a source)

brain drain (depletion or loss of intellectual and technical personnel)

• DRAIN (verb)

Meaning:

Flow off gradually

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

drain; run out

Context example:

The rain water drains into this big vat

Hypernyms (to "drain" is one way to...):

course; feed; flow; run (move along, of liquids)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Sentence example:

The water drains

Meaning:

Deplete of resources

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Context example:

The exercise class drains me of energy

Hypernyms (to "drain" is one way to...):

consume; deplete; eat; eat up; exhaust; run through; use up; wipe out (use up (resources or materials))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Meaning:

Empty of liquid; drain the liquid from

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

We drained the oil tank

Hypernyms (to "drain" is one way to...):

empty (make void or empty of contents)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They drain the water

Meaning:

Make weak

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

enfeeble; debilitate; drain

Context example:

Life in the camp drained him

Hypernyms (to "drain" is one way to...):

weaken (lessen the strength of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "drain"):

emaciate; macerate; waste (cause to grow thin or weak)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The performance is likely to drain Sue