Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

drain

2 noun
     
Related topics: Construction
drain2 [countable]
1 especially British EnglishTBC a pipe that carries water or waste liquids away:
The flood was caused by a blocked drain.
There's a problem with the drains.
2TBC British English the frame of metal bars over a drain where water etc can flow into it [= grate American English]
3 American English the hole in the bottom of a bath or sink that water flows out through [= plughole British English]
4

a drain on something

something that continuously uses a lot of time, money etc:
The war was an enormous drain on the country's resources.
5

down the drain

informal
a) if time, effort, or money goes down the drain, it is wasted or produces no results:
Well that's it. 18 months' work down the drain.
b) if an organization, country etc goes down the drain, it becomes worse or fails:
That's why this country's going down the drain!
➔ brain drain

; ➔ laugh like a drain

at laugh1 (1)
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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