drain (drains plural & 3rd person present) (draining present participle) (drained past tense & past participle )
1 verb If you drain a liquid from a place or object, you remove the liquid by causing it to flow somewhere else. If a liquid drains somewhere, it flows there.
Miners built the tunnel to drain water out of the mines... V n adv/prep
Now the focus is on draining the water... V n
Springs and rivers that drain into lakes carry dissolved nitrates and phosphates... V prep/adv
2 verb If you drain a place or object, you dry it by causing water to flow out of it. If a place or object drains, water flows out of it until it is dry.
Vast numbers of people have been mobilised to drain flooded land... V n
The soil drains freely and slugs aren't a problem. V
3 verb If you drain food or if food drains, you remove the liquid that it has been in, especially after it has been cooked or soaked in water.
Drain the pasta well, arrange on four plates and pour over the sauce... V n
Wash the leeks thoroughly and allow them to drain. V
4 n-count A drain is a pipe that carries water or sewage away from a place, or an opening in a surface that leads to the pipe.
Tony built his own house and laid his own drains.
5 verb If the colour or the blood drains or is drainedfrom someone's face, they become very pale. You can also say that someone's face drains or is drainedof colour.
LITERARY Harry felt the colour drain from his face... V from n
Thacker's face drained of colour... V of n
Jock's face had been suddenly drained of all colour... be V-ed of n
6 verb If something drains you, it leaves you feeling physically and emotionally exhausted.
My emotional turmoil had drained me. V n
drained adj
United left the pitch looking stunned and drained.
draining adj
This work is physically exhausting and emotionally draining.
7 n-sing If you say that something is adrainon an organization's finances or resources, you mean that it costs the organization a large amount of money, and you do not consider that it is worth it.
usu adj N, N on n
...an ultra-modern printing plant, which has been a big drain on resources...
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brain drain
8 verb If you say that a country's or a company's resources or finances are drained, you mean that they are used or spent completely.
The state's finances have been drained by war... be V-ed
The company has steadily drained its cash reserves. V n
9 If you say that something is goingdown the drain, you mean that it is being destroyed or wasted.
INFORMAL
down the drain phrase usu PHR after v
They were aware that their public image was rapidly going down the drain...
10 If you say that a business is going down the drain, you mean that it is failing financially. INFORMAL
down the drain phrase usu PHR after v Small local stores are going down the drain.
brain drain
When people talk about a brain drain, they are referring to the movement of a large number of scientists or academics away from their own country to other countries where the conditions and salaries are better. n-sing
