- 1[countable] a pipe that carries away dirty water or other liquid waste We had to call in a plumber to unblock the drain. The drains (= the system of pipes) date from the beginning of the century.
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- 2[countable] a hole in a bathtub, sink, etc. where the water flows away and into which a plug fits
- 3[singular] a drain on somebody/something a thing that uses a lot of the time, money, etc. that could be used for something else Military spending is a huge drain on the country's resources. see brain drain Idioms
(to be) wasted; (to get) very much worse It's just money down the drain, you know. Safety standards have gone down the drain.
Check pronunciation: drain