waterworks
|wa-ter-works|
B2
🇺🇸
/ˈwɔːtərˌwɜːrks/
🇬🇧
/ˈwɔːtəˌwɜːks/
water supply system
Etymology
Etymology Information
'waterworks' originates from the combination of 'water' and 'works', where 'water' refers to the liquid essential for life and 'works' refers to the infrastructure or machinery involved.
Historical Evolution
'waterworks' has been used since the 17th century to describe systems for water supply.
Meaning Changes
Initially, it referred to the physical infrastructure for water supply, but it has also come to mean a display of tears.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a system of reservoirs, channels, and pipelines for supplying water to a community.
The city's waterworks were upgraded to ensure a steady supply of clean water.
Synonyms
Idioms
Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:45