drainpipe

IPA/ˈdreɪnpaɪp/
IPA/ˈdreɪnpaɪp/

drainpipe — noun

  • drainpipesingular
  • drainpipesplural

1. a pipe on the outside of a building that takes rainwater and dirty water down to

1.nounB2
Definition

a pipe on the outside of a building that takes rainwater and dirty water down to a drain or underground sewer

Example

The old drainpipe at the back of the house had rusted through.

Yumi climbed onto the roof to clear leaves from the drainpipe.

collocation: clear leaves from the drainpipe

Common collocations
  • clear the drainpipe
  • blocked drainpipe
  • cracked drainpipe
  • rusted drainpipe
  • broken drainpipe
Synonyms
  • downpipe

    more common in British English; usually refers specifically to the vertical pipe from roof to ground

  • downspout

    American English equivalent, especially for the vertical section of the pipe

  • waste pipe

    broader term for any pipe carrying waste water, not only external ones

2. a style of trousers that fits close to the legs from hip to ankle, like the narr

2.nounB2
Definition

a style of trousers that fits close to the legs from hip to ankle, like the narrow tube of a pipe

Example

Gabriel wore black drainpipe trousers to the concert on Friday night.

attributive use: drainpipe trousers

The band's singer came on stage in a pair of tight red drainpipes.

Common collocations
  • drainpipe jeans
  • drainpipe trousers
  • pair of drainpipes
Synonyms
  • skinny trousers

    modern term for tight-fitting trousers; 'drainpipe' has a stronger 1950s-60s rock-and-roll association

  • slim-fit trousers

    less extreme than drainpipe; not necessarily tight all the way down

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

drainpipe trousers

a pair of drainpipes

Usage Note

Almost always used in the plural form 'drainpipes' or as 'drainpipe trousers'. The singular 'drainpipe' referring to trousers is very rare.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A drainpipe is a pipe attached to the outside of a building that carries rainwater or waste water down to a drain. A downpipe and a downspout mean the same thing but differ by region: downpipe is the standard British term, while downspout is the American equivalent. Both refer specifically to the vertical section running from roof to ground, whereas drainpipe can also refer to underground pipes. A waste pipe is broader — it carries dirty water from sinks, baths, or washing machines, and may be inside the wall rather than on the outside. A gutter is different: it is an open channel along the edge of a roof that collects rainwater and feeds it into the drainpipe. For example, you would say 'The gutter was overflowing and the drainpipe below it was blocked,' not 'The drainpipe on the roof edge.'

downpipe ↗downspout ↗waste pipegutter ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishLatinEnglish

Formed from 'drain' (from Old English drēahnian, meaning 'to strain or filter out liquid') and 'pipe' (from Latin pipa, 'a tube'). The word originally referred only to a pipe for carrying away water. The trousers sense emerged in the 1950s, comparing the tight, straight-legged style to the narrow cylindrical shape of a drainpipe.

First known use

1857

1857, in the meaning defined above