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waterworks
[waw-ter-wurks, wot-er-]
noun
plural
waterworks(used with a singular or plural verb)a complete system of reservoirs, pipelines, conduits, etc., by which water is collected, purified, stored, and pumped to urban users.
(used with a singular verb)a pumping station or a purifying station of such a system.
(usually used with a plural verb)Sometimes waterwork a spectacular display of water, mechanically produced, as for a pageant.
(used with a singular or plural verb)tears, or the source of tears.
to turn on the waterworks.
Slang.the kidneys.
waterworks
/ ˈɔːəˌɜː /
noun
(functioning as singular) an establishment for storing, purifying, and distributing water for community supply
(functioning as plural) a display of water in movement, as in fountains
informal(functioning as plural) the urinary system, esp with reference to its normal functioning
he has trouble with his waterworks
informal(functioning as plural) crying; tears
Word History and Origins
Origin of waterworks1
Idioms and Phrases
Example Sentences
With tourism accounting for more than 90% of the island’s economy, local authorities are seeking government approval to expand the airport, ferry transportation, waterworks, electricity network and roads.
When I ask them what they learned from each other near the end of our hour-long conversation, the waterworks hit.
Kate teases a secret throughout the show, building suspense about the scarring childhood experience that permanently clogged her waterworks.
That the government is always caught unawares shows a depressing underinvestment in the waterworks of its cities and its rural areas.
It didn’t take long for the waterworks to start on Friday at Lumen Field and test that theory.
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