Meaning & use
blackwater
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
Wastewater that contains human waste, especially from toilets.
Grammar: Uncountable: it refers to the water itself, not individual items.
Patterns
- blackwater treatment
- blackwater system
The ship stores its blackwater in tanks until it reaches port.
The city built a new plant to treat blackwater from homes.
Blackwater must be treated before it can be released into the river.
noununcountablemedical
Dark or discolored urine, often a sign of disease such as malaria.
Grammar: Uncountable and used mainly in medical contexts.
Patterns
- blackwater fever
The doctor recognized the blackwater as a symptom of a serious infection.
Blackwater fever is a rare complication of malaria.
The patient's blackwater alarmed the medical team.
Common combinations
- blackwater tank
- The RV has a blackwater tank for toilet waste.
- blackwater treatment
- The company specializes in blackwater treatment for ships.
- blackwater system
- The new blackwater system will handle waste from the entire neighborhood.
- blackwater fever
- He was diagnosed with blackwater fever after traveling in Africa.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sewage
- Sewage is the general term for waste water and solids carried in sewers; blackwater specifically refers to waste from toilets.
- wastewater
- Wastewater includes all used water, while blackwater is the dirtiest kind, containing human waste.
Opposites
Commonly confused: blackwater or graywater?
blackwater vs graywater
Graywater (or greywater) is relatively clean waste water from sinks and showers, not from toilets.
Practice
Which type of water does 'blackwater' refer to?
Choose one answer.
Blackwater is waste water that contains human waste, typically from toilets. Water from sinks and showers is called graywater.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “blackwater”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.