From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdraindrain1 /dreɪn/ ●●○ verb 1 LIQUIDliquid a) [transitive]DFTA to make the water or liquid in something flow away The swimming pool is drained and cleaned every winter.drain something from something Brad drained all the oil from the engine. Can you drain the spaghetti, please (=pour away the water from the pan)? b) [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]POUR if liquid drains away, it flows awaydrain away/off/from I watched the bath water drain away. c) [intransitive]TAEMPTY if something drains, the liquid that is in it or on it flows away and it becomes dry Open ditches drain very efficiently. She washed up and left the dishes to drain.well-drained/poorly-drained soil (=soil from which water flows away quickly or slowly) This plant needs rich, well-drained soil.2 make somebody tiredMAKE TIRED [transitive]TIRED to make someone feel very tired and without any energy Working with children all day really drains you.3 use too muchUSE TOO MUCH [transitive]USE/CONSUME to use too much of something, especially money, so that there is not enough left Huge imports were draining the country’s currency reserves.4 → the colour/blood drains from somebody’s face/cheeks5 → drain a glass/cup etc → drain away → drain something ↔ off→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
drain• With a slotted utensil, remove to paper towels to drain.• Yet they are quick to drain and dry.• A week later, the pond was drained and the fish were inspected.• The federal insurance fund has been drained by recent bank failures.• Hurriedly draining her cup, she reached for her purse.• He drained his brandy, and signaled for two more.• Jim drained his glass then offered to buy everyone another one.• Listening to customers' complaints all day really drains me.• To remove algae from your aquarium, drain off the water and wash the tank thoroughly.• Everything had been drained out of me by then, and my eyes were already shut.• The police even drained the lake in their search for the body.• This was needed as the heat was draining the walkers very quickly.• When cooked, drain well and add to the chicken mixture.• And to leave before both cups had been drained would only offend her.drain away/off/from• Cook the minced beef in a saucepan over a high heat until browned. Drain off any fat.• Dry-fry the bacon in a non-stick pan until almost tender but without colour. Drain off any fat.• Cook ground beef, and drain off fat.• Now he could hardly see the trail, even when he was among the trees and the glare had drained from his eyes.• Blanche eased herself up and Dexter watched the tension start to drain from Lancaster's body.• I got blue circles under my eyes, and the color drained from my face.• In that excavation, however, the water was not drained from the cofferdam.• The waste water would be drained away through a 2,000-foot tunnel, 150 feet below the river level.draindrain2 ●●○ noun [countable] 1 especially British EnglishTBC a pipe that carries water or waste liquids away The flood was caused by a blocked drain. There’s a problem with the drains.2 TBC British English the frame of metal bars over a drain where water etc can flow into it SYN grate American English3 American English the hole in the bottom of a bath or sink that water flows out through SYN plughole British English4 → a drain on something5 → down the drain → brain drain, → laugh like a drain at laugh1(1)Examples from the Corpus
drain• The parish is a drain on resources, no doubt about it.• To have left the tube and drain in place for 14-21 days would have been ideal but less acceptable to the patient.• For refrigerators with removable drain plugs, remove plug and force warm water mixed with baking soda through the drain.• Blood from Forster's broken body was floating away in clouds, finally swirling in a whirlpool above the drain.• Time and again he had to turn his nose up into the arch of the drain to keep from drowning.• We crawled out of the drain, saw the coast clear, and ran down the road together.• The drain in the bathtub is clogged.the drains• This makes it absolutely clear that the early road and the drains belong in a mid to late second-century context.• The view had been spoilt, and the drains became complicated.• Paper blocks the drains, so it goes into a little box.• A grey drizzle enveloped the city; where there were trees, sodden leaves choked the drains and made the pavements dangerous.• Small children scrambled for the scattered coins before they washed down the drains.• More and more people were looking to the drains, rather than to providence.• He counterclaimed for damages for breach of the covenant for quiet enjoyment and another claim relating to the drains.• At first they think the builders have messed up the drains.From Longman Business Dictionarydraindrain1 /dreɪn/ noun [countable usually singular] a drain on something something that continuously uses up a lot of money, time, or effortThis project has been a serious drain on our financial resources.draindrain2 verb [transitive] to use too much of something so that there is not enough leftThe high cost of road maintenance is draining funds from the local government budget.Huge imports were draining the country’s currency reserves.→ See Verb tableOrigin drain1 Old English dreahnian 