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| drain [ drayn ] |
noun (plural drains) |
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| Definition: |
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1. sewage pipe: a pipe or channel that carries water or sewage away from a place
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2. something that uses up resources: something that diminishes or uses up resources or energy
  a serious drain on our cash reserves
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3. loss or diminishing: the gradual loss, withdrawal, or diminishing of something regarded as an important resource
the drain of trained personnel from the industry
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4. medicine device to remove fluid from wound: a tube or other device placed in a wound or incision to draw off fluids such as blood, pus, or water
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5. agriculture artificial waterway: an artificial waterway that allows for land drainage
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verb (past and past participle drained, present participle drain·ing, 3rd person present singular drains) |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive and intransitive verb flow out: to flow out of something, often leaving it empty or dry, or allow a liquid to do this
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2. transitive and intransitive verb empty: to empty or dry something by allowing the water to flow out of or off it, or become empty or dry in this way
drained and refilled the pool
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3. transitive verb agriculture dry out land: to make marshy land drier by laying pipes, digging ditches or channels, or by any other means that removes the excess water
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4. transitive verb geography channel water away from land: to be a channel for leading water off land
The Loire drains most of central France.
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5. intransitive verb geography discharge into something: to discharge surface water or flow into a river or larger body of water
(
refers to geographic areas or watercourses
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The Mississippi River drains into the Gulf of Mexico.
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6. transitive verb drink something up: to empty a cup, glass, or other container by drinking all its contents
drained his coffee in one gulp
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7. transitive verb use something up: to use up or deplete something gradually, especially somebody's energy and resources, by making constant demands on it
draining the company's financial resources
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8. intransitive verb wane: to disappear gradually, or become less strong or intense
The color drained from her cheeks.
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9. transitive verb exhaust somebody: to leave somebody feeling physically or emotionally exhausted
Working with toddlers really drains my energy.
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| [ Old English drēahnian< Germanic] |
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| drain·a·ble adjective |
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down the drain
1. wasted or squandered with no hope of retrieval
2. toward or in a state of total failure or ruin, especially financial failure
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