sump
/sʌmp/
noun
- A pit or hollow in the ground where water or other liquids collect, especially in a basement or under a building.
- The old house had a sump in the basement to collect rainwater.
- They installed a sump pump to keep the crawl space dry.
- After the heavy storm, the sump filled up quickly and needed to be pumped out.
- A low area in a mine or cave where water gathers.
- The cave explorers waded through a shallow sump at the bottom of the passage.
- Water from the tunnels flowed into the main sump for removal.
- Miners had to drain the sump before they could continue digging.
- The lower part of an engine's crankcase that holds the oil; the oil pan.
- A leak in the sump caused oil to drip onto the garage floor.
- He drained the old oil from the sump before adding fresh oil to the engine.
- The mechanic removed the sump to check for metal fragments in the oil.