drain
verb
\ ˈdrān
\
\
drained;
draining;
drains
Definition of drain
(Entry 1 of 2)
2a
: to draw off (liquid) gradually or completely
drained all the water out of the pool
b
: to cause the gradual disappearance of
drain the region's wealth
c
: to exhaust (see exhaust entry 1 sense 1b) physically or emotionally
feeling drained at the end of a long workday
3a
: to make gradually dry
drain a swamp
b
: to carry away the surface water of
the river that drains the valley
c
: to deplete or empty by or as if by drawing off by degrees or in increments
drained the country of its resources
d
: to empty by drinking the contents of
drain a mug of beer
1a
: to flow off gradually
b
: to disappear gradually : dwindle
his nervousness drained away, as it always did— H. A. Sinclair
2
: to become emptied or freed of liquid by its flowing or dropping
waiting for the tub to drain
3
: to discharge surface or surplus water
drains into the Gulf of Mexico
drain
nounDefinition of drain (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: a means (such as a pipe) by which usually liquid matter is drained
2a
: the act of draining
b
: a gradual outflow or withdrawal : depletion
a net drain from the East of five million souls— G. W. Pierson
3
: something that causes depletion : burden
a drain on the city's resources
4
electronics
: an electrode in a field-effect transistor toward which charge carriers move — compare gate, source
down the drain
: to a state of being wasted or irretrievably lost
All their hard work went down the drain.
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Synonyms & Antonyms for drain
Synonyms: Verb
bleed, draft, draw (off), pump, siphon (also syphon), tap
Antonyms: Verb
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Examples of drain in a Sentence
Verb
Drain the canned tomatoes before adding them to the pot. The swamp has been drained. I was waiting for the bathtub to drain. The river drains into a lake. Years of civil war have drained the country's resources. The city's emergency fund has been drained. I feel totally drained of energy this evening.Noun
The drain in the bathtub is blocked.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Student-teaching in the field, however, was draining. — Krystal Rodriguez, Billboard, "Compton-Raised Channel Tres Is Taking His West Coast-Inspired Dance Music Worldwide," 15 Aug. 2019 Water drains below a section of a ruptured water-main pipe, as Crescenta Valley Water District crew members make repairs in the 4800 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in north Glendale. — Lila Seidman, Glendale News-Press, "Street closed as water main break in La Crescenta tears asphalt apart," 5 Aug. 2019 The National Flood Insurance Program is already more than $20 billion in debt and it could be drained of hundreds of millions of dollars more by the mapping changes. — Dave Collins, courant.com, "Could coastal mansions in Connecticut become eligible for disaster aid?," 22 July 2019 The data shows evidence that at least two of the lakes drained and then refilled. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "More Than 50 Lakes Found Under Greenland Ice Sheet," 27 June 2019 It was drained in 2014 to fix cracks and refilled in 2018 in a project that cost $10 million. — Mary Forgione, latimes.com, "You can swim in Hearst Castle's famous pools. It'll only cost you $1,250," 13 June 2019 Cook couscous per package directions; drain and transfer to a bowl. — Kate Merker, Country Living, "Pearl Couscous With Leeks and Peas," 18 Mar. 2019 The neurosurgeons whisked him to the operating room for surgery to drain the infection and give his brain room to decompress. — Julia Michie Bruckner, Discover Magazine, "Is a Teen's Pain Just Drama, or Something Worse?," 12 Mar. 2019 Combine the cooled wheat berries and the lentils (making sure they are well drained) in a medium bowl with the carrots. — Emily Horton, charlotteobserver, "Four steps to making a great grain salad, every time," 19 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The ducks were crossed Sixth Street to avoid a dog when three of the ducklings fell into a storm drain. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Ducks, stuck, loose: Police rescue 3 ducklings from grate," 30 July 2019 At dusk and into the night, rats scurry in the alley between the church and the jail, darting under doorways and into sewer drains. — Bloomberg News, al.com, "Jeffrey Epstein now sharing a jail with ‘El Chapo’," 10 July 2019 Well, Cleveland Heights is giving you a chance to do some stenciling as an adult -- around storm drains. — cleveland.com, "Annual Cain Park Arts Festival is July 12-14; Wigs for Kids Day 5K takes place July 20; more: Press Run," 5 July 2019 After the storm, a $30-million emergency contract was established between Caltrans and Ames Construction to replace storm drains, rebuild slopes and roadbeds, repave roads and reinstall guardrails and signage, officials said. — Alexa Díaz, latimes.com, "Damaged by storms, a major highway to Idyllwild is closed for the summer," 27 June 2019 Last Thursday, eight ducklings were swept into a storm drain. — The Christian Science Monitor, "What really makes us what we are?," 25 June 2019 By the time the pump was shut off, several thousands of gallons of oil had escaped, flowed into a nearby storm drain and then directly into the Willamette River, Bounds wrote. — oregonlive.com, "Union Pacific plant operator allowed thousands of gallons of oil to spill into Willamette River, feds say," 24 June 2019 Three bodies were recovered from a storm drain Monday in El Paso, Texas, near the U.S.-Mexico border, officials said. — Alex Sundby, CBS News, "Three bodies found in storm drain near U.S.-Mexico border," 10 June 2019 Hassert also wrote that grass clippings can clog storm drains and cause flooding in the case of heavy rain. — Maia Anderson, Cincinnati.com, "NKY residents: Grass cuttings slippery when wet and can cause safety problems," 5 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'drain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors.