Meaning & use
Sump
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A pit, well, or low-lying reservoir into which liquid drains and is collected, as in a mine, basement, or engine.
See it in a sentence
Water seeping into the mine shaft was channeled into a sump and pumped back to the surface.
A cracked sump can leak oil from the bottom of a car's engine.
A note on using this word
The word comes from Middle English "sompe," related to a Germanic root meaning "swamp" or "marsh."
Words with a similar meaning
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