sewers
sewers — noun
- sewerssingular
- sewersesplural
1. underground pipes that carry sewage and waste water away from buildings and stre
underground pipes that carry sewage and waste water away from buildings and streets
City workers entered the sewers at dawn to clear a stubborn blockage.
enter / clear the sewers
After the storm, dirty water backed up because the sewers were overloaded.
Engineers mapped the old sewers before the hospital extension began.
Rats moved through the sewers beneath the market during the flood.
The mayor promised to replace sewers that leaked into the river.
- drains
broader term; drains can carry rainwater as well as dirty water
- sewer lines
focuses on the pipe network itself in technical contexts
文法句型
the sewers
through the sewers
repair / inspect / replace sewers
用法筆記
Usually refers to the network under a town or city rather than one single pipe. The singular form is sewer.
常見錯誤
2. open channels above ground that carry sewage and dirty water away
open channels above ground that carry sewage and dirty water away
Children were told not to play near the open sewers after school.
open sewers
Heavy rain filled the sewers along the road with black water.
Shop owners covered the sewers with boards before the parade began.
A sour smell rose from the sewers beside the bus station.
Narrow sewers ran beside the alley in the oldest part of town.
- open drains
close in meaning and often used in the same settings
- channels
broader word that does not always imply dirty water
文法句型
open sewers
sewers + along / beside + place
用法筆記
This sense is often made clearer by adding open. It contrasts with sense 1, where the pipes are under the ground and covered.
3. people who sew clothes or other things as a job or hobby
people who sew clothes or other things as a job or hobby
At the market, several sewers sold handmade bags and children's shirts.
sewers making and selling handmade items
Experienced sewers checked the pattern before cutting the expensive silk.
experienced sewers + check a pattern
The class paired new sewers with volunteers from the neighborhood studio.
Online forums help sewers share tips about needles, buttons, and cloth.
Many sewers keep a box of spare buttons beside the machine.
- seamstresses
more specific and traditionally refers to women who sew clothes
- tailors
narrower; often refers to people who make or alter fitted clothes professionally
文法句型
experienced sewers
new sewers
sewers + sell / share / keep
用法筆記
This sense comes from the verb sew, not from the drainage word sewer in senses 1 and 2. It is usually clear from contexts about cloth, patterns, or sewing machines.