drain

verb

/dreɪn/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they drain	/dreɪn/ /dreɪn/
he / she / it drains	/dreɪnz/ /dreɪnz/
past simple drained	/dreɪnd/ /dreɪnd/
past participle drained	/dreɪnd/ /dreɪnd/
-ing form draining	/ˈdreɪnɪŋ/ /ˈdreɪnɪŋ/

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[transitive, intransitive] drain (something) to make something empty or dry by removing the liquid from it; to become empty or dry in this way
- Drain and rinse the pasta.
- The marshes have been drained.
- You will need to drain the central heating system before you replace the radiator.
- The swimming pool drains very slowly.
- Leave the dishes to drain.
Collocations Cooking
CookingPreparing
- prepare a dish/a meal/a menu/dinner/the fish
- weigh out 100g/4oz of sugar/the ingredients
- wash/rinse the lettuce/spinach/watercress
- chop/slice/dice the carrots/onions/potatoes
- peel the carrots/onion/potatoes/garlic/orange
- grate a carrot/the cheese/some nutmeg
- remove/discard the bones/seeds/skin
- blend/combine/mix (together) the flour and water/all the ingredients
- beat/whisk the cream/eggs/egg whites
- knead/shape/roll (out) the dough
Cooking
- heat the oil in a frying pan
- preheat/heat the oven/(British English) the grill/(North American English) the broiler
- bring to (British English) the boil/(North American English) a boil
- stir constantly/gently with a wooden spoon
- reduce the heat
- simmer gently for 20 minutes/until reduced by half
- melt the butter/chocolate/cheese/sugar
- brown the meat for 8–20 minutes
- drain the pasta/the water from the pot/in a colander
- mash the potatoes/banana/avocado
Ways of cooking
- cook food/fish/meat/rice/pasta/a Persian dish
- bake (a loaf of) bread/a cake/(especially North American English) cookies/(British English) biscuits/a pie/potatoes/fish/scones/muffins
- boil cabbage/potatoes/an egg/water
- fry/deep-fry/stir-fry the chicken/vegetables
- grill meat/steak/chicken/sausages/a hot dog
- roast potatoes/peppers/meat/chicken/lamb
- sauté garlic/mushrooms/onions/potatoes/vegetables
- steam rice/vegetables/spinach/asparagus/dumplings
- toast bread/nuts
- microwave food/popcorn/(British English) a ready meal
Serving
- serve in a glass/on a bed of rice/with potatoes
- arrange the slices on a plate/in a layer
- carve the meat/lamb/chicken/turkey
- dress/toss a salad
- dress with/drizzle with olive oil/vinaigrette
- top with a slice of lemon/a scoop of ice cream/whipped cream/syrup
- garnish with a sprig of parsley/fresh basil leaves/lemon wedges/a slice of lime/a twist of orange
- sprinkle with salt/sugar/herbs/parsley/freshly ground black pepper
Extra Examples
- You will need to turn off the water and drain the tank.
- well-drained soil
- Remove the artichokes, drain thoroughly and allow to cool.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- thoroughly
- well
- poorly
- …
preposition
- out of
See full entry
[transitive, intransitive] to make liquid flow away from something; to flow away
- drain something (from/out of something) We had to drain the oil out of the engine.
- drain something away/off Drain off the excess fat from the meat.
- drain away/off She pulled out the plug and the water drained away.
- (figurative) My anger slowly drained away.
- drain into something The river drains into a lake.
- drain from/out of something All the colour drained from his face when I told him the news.
- drain of something His face drained of colour.
- Then the water drains out, leaving a film of wet mud.
- The surgeon drains out any excess fluid.
- The blood drains out of the body.
- (figurative) I felt the courage draining out of me.
- (figurative) The country's coal reserves are being drained away.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- thoroughly
- well
- poorly
- …
preposition
- out of
See full entry
[transitive] drain something to empty a cup or glass by drinking everything in it
- In one gulp, he drained the glass.
- She quickly drained the last of her drink.
[transitive] to make somebody/something weaker, poorer, etc. by using up their/its strength, money, etc.
- drain somebody/something My mother's hospital expenses were slowly draining my income.
- an exhausting and draining experience
- drain somebody/something of something I felt drained of energy.
- The experience left her emotionally drained.
- His voice was utterly drained of emotion.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- completely
- totally
- utterly
- …
preposition
- of
- out of
phrases
- be drained
- feel drained
See full entry

Word OriginOld English drēahnian, drēhnian ‘strain (liquid)’, of Germanic origin; related to dry.

drain

noun

/dreɪn/

Idioms

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[countable] a pipe that carries away dirty water or other liquid waste
- We had to call in a plumber to unblock the drain.
- The drains (= the system of pipes) date from the beginning of the century.
Wordfinder
- drain
- dump
- effluent
- exhaust
- fly-tip
- incinerator
- landfill
- rubbish
- sewage
- waste
Extra Examples
- They were busy laying the drains for the new houses.
- a bottle of drain cleaner
- The drains date from the beginning of the last century.
Topics Buildingsc1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- blocked
- clogged
- storm
- …
verb + drain
- block
- clog
- clear
- …
drain + noun
- cleaner
See full entry
[countable] (British English)
(US English grate, sewer grate)
a frame of metal bars over the opening to a drain in the ground
enlarge image
(US English)
(British English plughole)
[countable] a hole in a bath, sink, etc. where the water flows away and into which a plug fitsTopics Houses and homesc2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- blocked
- clogged
- storm
- …
verb + drain
- block
- clog
- clear
- …
drain + noun
- cleaner
See full entry
[singular] a drain on somebody/something a thing that uses a lot of the time, money, etc. that could be used for something else
- Military spending is a huge drain on the country's resources.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- heavy
- major
- serious
- …
preposition
- drain on
See full entry
[uncountable] the drain of somebody/something the fact of resources, people, etc. being lost or wasted
- the drain of talented staff to the United States
see also brain drain

Word OriginOld English drēahnian, drēhnian ‘strain (liquid)’, of Germanic origin; related to dry.

Idioms

(go) down the drain

(British English also (go) down the plughole)

(informal) (to be) wasted; (to get) very much worse
- It's just money down the drain, you know.
- Safety standards have gone down the drain.

laugh like a drain

(British English, informal) to laugh very loudly