sump
[ suhmp ]
/ sʌmp /
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noun
a pit, well, or the like in which water or other liquid is collected.
Machinery. a chamber at the bottom of a machine, pump, circulation system, etc., into which a fluid drains before recirculation or in which wastes gather before disposal.
Mining.
- a space where water is allowed to collect at the bottom of a shaft or below a passageway.
- a pilot shaft or tunnel pushed out in front of a main bore.
British. crankcase.
British Dialect. a swamp, bog, or muddy pool.
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Improve Your WritingOrigin of sump
1375–1425; late Middle English sompe<Middle Low German or Middle Dutch sump; cognate with German Sumpf; akin to swamp
Words nearby sump
summon, summons, summum bonum, Sumner, sumo, sump, sump drain, sumph, sump pump, sumpsimus, sump syndrome
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use sump in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for sump
sump
/ (sʌmp) /
noun
a receptacle, such as the lower part of the crankcase of an internal-combustion engine, into which liquids, esp lubricants, can drain to form a reservoir
another name for cesspool
mining
- a depression at the bottom of a shaft where water collects before it is pumped away
- the front portion of a shaft or tunnel, ahead of the main bore
British dialect a muddy pool or swamp
Word Origin for sump
C17: from Middle Dutch somp marsh; see swamp
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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