waterworks
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: water works and water-works
English
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈwɔːtəˌwəːks/
Audio (Received Pronunciation): (file) - (General American) IPA(key): /ˈwɔtɚˌwɚks/, [-ɾɚ-]
Audio (US): (file) - Hyphenation: wa‧ter‧works
Etymology 1
From water + works (“machine, mechanism; factory or factories”).[1]
Noun
waterworks (plural waterworks)
- The water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place, including reservoirs, pipes, and pumps.
- (treated as singular) Any single facility, such as a filtration plant or pumping station, within such a system.
- (figuratively)
- (informal) Often in the form turn on the waterworks: crying or tears, especially in a way that is considered manipulative or over-emotional.
- She turned on the waterworks when we told her the old man was dead, but she was asking questions about the will soon enough.
- (informal) Rain.
- (British, euphemistic) The genitourinary system.
- Synonym: (euphemistic, informal) plumbing
- (informal) Often in the form turn on the waterworks: crying or tears, especially in a way that is considered manipulative or over-emotional.
- (historical, treated as singular) A hydraulic apparatus by which a supply of water is furnished for ornamental purposes; also, an ornamental fountain or waterfall.
- 1643 May 12 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 2 May 1643]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC, page 30:
- Resolving to possess myself in some quiet if it might be, in a time of so great jealosy, I built by my Brother's permission a study, made a fishpond, an island, and some other solitudes and retirements, at Wotton, which gave the first occasion of improving them to those water-works and gardens which afterwards succeeded them.
- (construction, archaic) Engineering works relating to the conveyance and flow of fluids (principally water), such as the collection and distribution of water, drainage, irrigation, etc.
Alternative forms
- waterwork (senses 4 and 5)
- water works
- water-works
Derived terms
Translations
water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
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any single facility, such as a filtration plant or pumping station, within such a system
|
crying or tears, especially in a way that is considered manipulative or over-emotional
rain — see rain
(historical in English) hydraulic apparatus by which a supply of water is furnished for ornamental purposes
(archaic in English) engineering works relating to the conveyance and flow of fluids (principally water)
|
Etymology 2
Noun
waterworks
References
- Compare “waterwork, n.”, in OED Online
, Oxford: Oxford University Press, September 2015; “waterwork, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022; “waterworks, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
Further reading
water supply on Wikipedia.Wikipedia - waterworks (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
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