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Meaning & use

sewer opening

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈsuːə ˌəʊpənɪŋ/
US/ˈsuːər ˌoʊpənɪŋ/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A hole or grate in a street that lets rainwater and waste flow into a sewer.

    Grammar: Countable; use a/an or the, and the plural is sewer openings.

    Patterns

    • a sewer opening in the street
    • cover a sewer opening
    • block a sewer opening
    • fall into a sewer opening

    The city fixed the broken grate over the sewer opening on Oak Street.

    Leaves had blocked the sewer opening, so the road flooded after the storm.

    A child nearly fell into an open sewer opening near the park.

  2. nouncountabletechnical

    The point where a pipe joins a main sewer line.

    Grammar: Countable; often used with connect to or at.

    Patterns

    • connect a pipe to a sewer opening
    • the sewer opening for the house
    • a blocked sewer opening

    A plumber cleared the sewer opening where the kitchen pipe meets the main line.

    The sewer opening for our building is at the back of the parking lot.

    Inspectors found a crack right at the sewer opening.

Word forms

pluralsewer openings

Common combinations

blocked sewer opening
Workers cleared the blocked sewer opening before the rain arrived.
open sewer opening
An open sewer opening is dangerous for cyclists at night.
cover a sewer opening
The crew will cover the sewer opening with a metal grate.
clear a sewer opening
They used a long pole to clear the sewer opening.

Synonyms and how they differ

drain
A drain is the pipe or channel that carries water away; a sewer opening is the hole or grate where water enters that system.
manhole
A manhole is a covered opening large enough for a person to enter a sewer; a sewer opening can be any inlet, not necessarily for people.
gully
A gully is a small drain at the edge of a road that catches rainwater; a sewer opening is the broader term.

Word family

sewer noun
The underground pipe system that carries waste water.
sewerage noun
The whole system of sewers and the process of removing waste water.

Commonly confused: sewer opening or sewer? sewer opening or sewage?

sewer opening vs sewer

A sewer is the pipe or tunnel itself; a sewer opening is the hole or grate where water goes in.

sewer opening vs sewage

Sewage is the waste water and solids; a sewer opening is a physical opening, not the waste.

Practice

The heavy rain couldn't flow away because a plastic bag had blocked the ___.

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