WordGarden.iowaterworks
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /wˈɔːtəwˌɜːks/
US
- /ˈwɔtərˌwɜrks/
Meanings
Noun
a municipal system or facility for supplying and treating water
(informal)tears or crying, especially when displayed dramatically
Beyond the definition
"Waterworks" usually refers to the equipment and system that bring, store, clean, or move water for a town, city, building, or other place. It can include pipes, pumps, tanks, filters, and treatment areas. In stories about cities or public services, the word often points to the whole water supply system rather than to one single machine.
It also has a common informal meaning connected to crying. When someone says the waterworks started, they mean tears began to flow, often in a sudden or obvious way. This use is playful and a little dramatic. You might read about old waterworks near a river, or hear someone joke that a sad movie set off the waterworks.
"Waterworks" has two main uses in English. First, it can mean the system or works that supply and manage water. In this literal sense, it may refer to a city water plant, a network of pipes and pumps, or the larger public system that collects, treats, stores, and sends out water. Older writing may speak of "the town waterworks" as an important local service or building. In modern use, it still appears in news, history, engineering, and public service contexts.
Second, "waterworks" is a familiar informal way to talk about crying. In this sense, it paints tears as if they were water flowing through pipes or pouring from taps. If someone says, "Here come the waterworks," they usually mean a person is starting to cry or is about to cry. The phrase can sound humorous, warm, teasing, or slightly critical, depending on the situation. It is often used for noticeable tears rather than for quiet emotion.
Because of these two meanings, context matters. In one sentence, workers may repair the waterworks after a storm. In another, a touching reunion may set off the waterworks. You may also hear expressions like "turn on the waterworks," which suggests crying, sometimes real and sometimes used to win sympathy. Overall, the word can point either to a real water system or, in a colorful figurative way, to tears and crying.
Examples
- 1
Public infrastructure
The town spent millions upgrading its waterworks after last summer's drought.
- 2
Historic building
The old waterworks building has been turned into a museum.
- 3
Tears
As soon as she started talking about her late grandfather, the waterworks began.
- Phrasethe waterworks
tears and crying
- 4
Dramatic crying
He can turn on the waterworks whenever he wants sympathy.
- Phraseturn on the waterworks
start crying, sometimes dramatically or not fully sincerely
See also
Similar
- water system
- water supply
Shades of meaning
- water utility
- waterworks plant
Contrast
- sewer system
Used with (collocations)
- municipal waterworks
- waterworks department
- waterworks system
Explore
- water treatment
- public utilities
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- waterworksnoun