What does "drainpipe" mean?
A pipe that carries fluid which is being drained.; A verticle pipe carrying water from the roof gutter down the side of a building; downspout.
Drainpipe
/ˈdɹeɪnˌpaɪp/ noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A pipe that carries fluid which is being drained.; A verticle pipe carrying water from the roof gutter down the side of a building; downspout.
- Grammar: drainpipe is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: catheter, channel, conduit, downpipe.
- Useful contrasts: origin, source.
- Usage evidence: Tom got into the house by shinning up a drainpipe.
How to use "drainpipe"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "drainpipe" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "drainpipe" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "drainpipe" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "drainpipe" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "drainpipe" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "catheter" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "drainpipe", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A pipe that carries fluid which is being drained.; A verticle pipe carrying water from the roof gutter down the side of a building; downspout. countable, uncountable
"He unlatched the window and stuck his head out — there was a drainpipe a couple of feet to the left but his room was on the second floor and it was too dark to tell whether the garden below was grass, soil, or paving."
- 2 a pipe through which liquid is carried away wordnet
- 3 A pipe that carries fluid which is being drained.; A conduit for carrying rainwater or flood water. countable, uncountable
"Where a lot owner knows that his premises will be flooded in case of a heavy rain, unless a certain city drainpipe in the street adjacent thereto is cleaned out, and gives no notice of it, and makes no effort to remedy the defect, he cannot recover of the city damages caused by flooding his premises during such storm."
- 4 A pipe that carries fluid which is being drained.; A pipe that carries wastewater from a bathtub, shower, sink, etc. countable, uncountable
"First you should know that the size of the drain hole in the bottom of the sink is reflective of the drainpipe's diameter that has been standardized by the plumbing industry."
- 5 A pipe that carries fluid which is being drained.; A pipe that is part of a device or appliance for carrying away waste fluid. countable, uncountable
"For years mechanical refrigerator salesmen have delighted in sticking their finger down inside the drainpipe of an ice refrigerator and drawing it out covered with slime, in an effort to demonstrate to the housewife that ice refrigeration is unclean."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 The type of pipe that is used to construct a drainpipe. uncountable
"Hold a length of drainpipe vertically and stuff a loose wad of metal gauze up into the lower end."
- 7 A type of form-fitting trousers with highly tapered legs. countable, uncountable
"At the flick of a switch I would change mode and tart up in my new Toby, a horrendous copy of a Savile Row suit, waisted, with a twelve-inch vent at the back, drainpipe trousers and a rose in my buttonhole."
Example
"Tom got into the house by shinning up a drainpipe."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "drainpipe"?
Common synonyms include: catheter, channel, conduit, downpipe, downspout, drain.
How do you use "drainpipe" in a sentence?
Tom got into the house by shinning up a drainpipe.
How do you pronounce "drainpipe"?
Pronounced /ˈdɹeɪnˌpaɪp/.
Etymology
From drain + pipe.