noun · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈwɔːtəˌwəːks/
Received-Pronunciation:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈwɔtɚˌwɚks/
General-American:[-ɾɚ-]
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:W AO1 T ER0 W ER2 K S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place, including reservoirs, pipes, and pumps.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Any single facility, such as a filtration plant or pumping station, within such a system.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: treated as singular
Examples
She is employed by a waterworks at the outskirts of the city.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: works
3
noun
Meaning 3
Often in the form turn on the waterworks: crying or tears, especially in a way that is considered manipulative or over-emotional.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, informal
Examples
She turned on the waterworks when we told her the old man was dead, but she was asking questions about the will soon enough.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Rain.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
The genitourinary system.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, euphemistic, figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: plumbing
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A hydraulic apparatus by which a supply of water is furnished for ornamental purposes; also, an ornamental fountain or waterfall.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
Qualifier: treated as singular
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
Engineering works relating to the conveyance and flow of fluids (principally water), such as the collection and distribution of water, drainage, irrigation, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
Topics: business, construction, manufacturing
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
plural of waterwork
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, plural
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
workplace where water is stored and purified and distributed for a community
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: workplace, work
10
noun
Meaning 10
a public utility that provides water
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: water company
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: utility, public utility, public utility company, public-service corporation
History
Etymology
From water + works (“machine, mechanism; factory or factories”).
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Across languages
Translations
50 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
كُلْوَة
(kulwa)
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Arabic:
كُلْيَة
(kulya)
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Bulgarian:
водоснабдяване
(vodosnabdjavane)
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Czech:
vodovod
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Danish:
vandforsyning
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Dutch:
waterleiding
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Finnish:
vesilaitos
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Finnish:
vesirakennustyö
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
French:
station de traitement d'eau
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Georgian:
წყალმომარაგების სისტემა
(c̣q̇almomaragebis sisṭema)
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Georgian:
წყალმომარაგება
(c̣q̇almomarageba)
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
German:
Wasserwerk
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
German:
Wasserkunst
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
German:
Wasserversorgung
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Hungarian:
vízművek
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Hungarian:
vízhálózat
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Hungarian:
vízellátó hálózat
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Italian:
acquedotto
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Italian:
sistema idrico
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Japanese:
上水道
(jōsuidō)
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Korean:
수도
(sudo)
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Macedonian:
водовод
(vodovod)
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Macedonian:
водоснабдување
(vodosnabduvanje)
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Serbo-Croatian:
во̏дово̄д
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Serbo-Croatian:
vȍdovōd
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Thai:
ประปา
(bprà-bpaa)
— water supply system of a district, town, city, or other place
Danish:
vandværk
— any single facility, such as a filtration plant or pumping station, within such a system
Finnish:
vesilaitos
— any single facility, such as a filtration plant or pumping station, within such a system
French:
systéme hydraulique
— any single facility, such as a filtration plant or pumping station, within such a system
Georgian:
წყალმომარაგების სადგური
(c̣q̇almomaragebis sadguri)
— any single facility, such as a filtration plant or pumping station, within such a system
German:
Wasserwerk
— any single facility, such as a filtration plant or pumping station, within such a system
German:
Wasseraufbereitungsanlage
— any single facility, such as a filtration plant or pumping station, within such a system
Hungarian:
vízmű
— any single facility, such as a filtration plant or pumping station, within such a system
Italian:
sistema idraulico
— any single facility, such as a filtration plant or pumping station, within such a system
Norwegian Bokmål:
vannverk
— any single facility, such as a filtration plant or pumping station, within such a system
Norwegian Bokmål:
vassverk
— any single facility, such as a filtration plant or pumping station, within such a system
Norwegian Nynorsk:
vassverk
— any single facility, such as a filtration plant or pumping station, within such a system
Swedish:
vattenverk
— any single facility, such as a filtration plant or pumping station, within such a system
German:
Geheul
— crying or tears, especially in a way that is considered manipulative or over-emotional
German:
Tränen
— crying or tears, especially in a way that is considered manipulative or over-emotional
Hungarian:
sírás
— crying or tears, especially in a way that is considered manipulative or over-emotional
Hungarian:
zokogás
— crying or tears, especially in a way that is considered manipulative or over-emotional
Hungarian:
bőgés
— crying or tears, especially in a way that is considered manipulative or over-emotional
Hungarian:
pityergés
— crying or tears, especially in a way that is considered manipulative or over-emotional
Spanish:
llanto
— crying or tears, especially in a way that is considered manipulative or over-emotional
German:
Wasserkunst
— (historical in English) hydraulic apparatus by which a supply of water is furnished for ornamental purposes
Hungarian:
szökőkút
— (historical in English) hydraulic apparatus by which a supply of water is furnished for ornamental purposes
Hungarian:
vízesés
— (historical in English) hydraulic apparatus by which a supply of water is furnished for ornamental purposes
Dutch:
waterwerk
— (archaic in English) engineering works relating to the conveyance and flow of fluids (principally water)
Finnish:
vesirakennustyö
— (archaic in English) engineering works relating to the conveyance and flow of fluids (principally water)
