waterworks

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a system of reservoirs, treatment facilities, pumps, and pipes that supplies water to a community

   A torrent rushed down the hill from the damaged waterworks.

2. 2
   noun

   a facility where a public water supply is stored, treated, or pumped

   The old waterworks now houses an exhibition about the city's engineering history.

3. 3
   noun

   informal: crying or a conspicuous flow of tears, especially in the phrase turn on the waterworks

   The sentimental ending turned on the waterworks for half the audience.

4. 4
   noun

   informal, especially British: the urinary organs or urinary system

   The doctor asked whether he had experienced any trouble with his waterworks.

A compound of water + works, with works in its sense of machinery, installations, or an industrial facility. The figurative use for tears compares crying to a flowing water system; British informal use also extends the image to the urinary system.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images