wastewater — water that has been used and contaminated by human activity, typically from homes, businesses, or industrial processes
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: water that has been used and contaminated by human activity, typically from homes, businesses, or industrial processes
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈweɪstˌwɔːtər/
Example Sentences
- My neighbor thinks his morning coffee counts as wastewater treatment.
- The city invested millions in upgrading its wastewater infrastructure.
- After seeing the wastewater treatment process, I'll never take clean water for granted again.
wastewater
NOUN[/ˈweɪstˌwɔːtər/]
water that has been used and contaminated by human activity, typically from homes, businesses, or industrial processes
Factory pipes pour murky wastewater into a treatment pond while workers test samples.
Father and daughter watch wastewater reduce river quality by another quarter!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Wastewater emerged in the late 19th century during the Industrial Revolution as a compound term combining 'waste' (to discard or squander) and 'water'. The term arose from the need to distinguish contaminated water as urbanization and industrialization intensified water pollution problems.
Breakdown
waste (discarded or unwanted matter) + water (liquid H₂O). The compound denotes water that has been used and contaminated by human or industrial activity, requiring treatment before discharge or reuse.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My neighbor thinks his morning coffee counts as wastewater treatment.”
“The city invested millions in upgrading its wastewater infrastructure.”
“After seeing the wastewater treatment process, I'll never take clean water for granted again.”
“The chef was horrified to discover the restaurant's wastewater was being recycled into soup.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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