dry well
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English
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From dry + well (in both open compound and solid compound form).
Pronunciation
[edit]Noun
[edit]- (civil engineering, construction) An underground structure (for example, a pit filled with gravel) that disposes of unwanted water (most commonly surface runoff and stormwater and in some cases greywater) by holding it and dissipating it into the groundwater.
- Synonyms: absorbing well, drain well, negative well, dumb well, dead well, blind well
Usage notes
[edit]Do not confuse a dry well (/ˈdɹaɪˌwɛl/) with a dry well (/ˌdɹaɪˈwɛl/) in the merely collocational sense (a noun phrase versus the compound noun), that is, a well that has run dry (whether a water well or an oil well).