sump Hear it!

sump definition

sump (sump)

noun

    1. a pit, cistern, cesspool, etc. for draining, collecting, or storing liquids
    2. Brit. oil pan
  2. Mining
    1. a pit or pool at the bottom of a shaft or mine, in which water collects and from which it is pumped
    2. an excavation at the head of a tunnel or shaft

Etymology: ME sompe, swamp

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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