What does "sump" mean?
A hollow or pit into which liquid drains, such as a cesspool, cesspit or sink.
Sump
/sʌmp/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A hollow or pit into which liquid drains, such as a cesspool, cesspit or sink.
- Grammar: sump is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: artificial lake, basin, baygall, bayou lake.
- Useful contrasts: dry chamber, dry sump, dry tunnel.
- Usage evidence: The sump was full of water and the basement started to flood.
How to use "sump"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sump" 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 "sump" 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 "sump" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sump" 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 "sump" is acting as noun, verb 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 "artificial lake" 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 "sump", 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 hollow or pit into which liquid drains, such as a cesspool, cesspit or sink.
- 2 a covered cistern; waste water and sewage flow into it wordnet
- 3 The lowest part of a mineshaft into which water drains.
- 4 a well or other hole in which water has collected wordnet
- 5 A completely flooded cave passage, sometimes passable by diving.
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 an oil reservoir in an internal combustion engine wordnet
- 7 The crankcase or oil reservoir of an internal combustion engine.
- 8 The pit at the lowest point in a circulating or drainage system (FM 55-501).
- 9 An intentional depression around a drain or scupper that promotes drainage.
- 10 A sudden or heavy fall of rain; a deluge. Scotland
"then, seating himself thus, he replied to him of the east.—'Sounding sump o' rain Saunders Creeshmeloof—saw ye ever a drap o' rain for eight and forty hours after the bonnie sinking sun that sat sae red and sae lang on the summit of Blackwood hills this blessed afternoon? That starry plow o' thine is […]'"
Verb
- 1 Of a cave passage, to end in a sump, or to fill completely with water on occasion. intransitive
"We discovered a new passage, but it sumped after 100 metres."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
dry chamberdry sumpdry tunnel
Example
"The sump was full of water and the basement started to flood."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sump"?
Common synonyms include: artificial lake, basin, baygall, bayou lake, bilge, bog.
How do you use "sump" in a sentence?
The sump was full of water and the basement started to flood.
How do you pronounce "sump"?
Pronounced /sʌmp/.
Etymology
From Middle English sompe, either from Middle Dutch somp, sump or Middle Low German sump from Old Saxon *sump, from Proto-West Germanic *sump, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *sumpaz. Doublet of swamp.