sump

noun

ˈsəmp 

1

: a pit or reservoir serving as a drain or receptacle for liquids: such as

a

: cesspool

b

: a pit at the lowest point in a circulating or drainage system (such as the oil-circulating system of an internal combustion engine)

c

chiefly British : oil pan

2

British : crankcase

3

[German Sumpf, literally, marsh, from Middle High German — more at swamp]

a

: the lowest part of a mine shaft into which water drains

b

: an excavation ahead of regular work in driving a mine tunnel or sinking a mine shaft

4

: something resembling a sump : sink sense 2

Examples of sump in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Samples taken from sump, soil and floor drains around the building revealed a mix of the hazardous chemicals that were stored inside, including waste oil, arsenic, copper, lead and cadmium, along with the two herbicides that make up Agent Orange. —Gabe Stern, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2024

And the puzzling question is why the once-formidable California GOP keeps following this unstable character into a sump. —George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024

To help cope with the additional output of nearly 200 hp routed to larger tire-contact patches, Chevy significantly revised the transaxle with an additional clutch disc, a deeper hydraulic oil sump, internal baffles, beefed-up output shafts and a higher 5.56 final drive ratio. —Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 4 Oct. 2022

The Corvette gets a dry sump oiling system that's better for the track, while the ZL1 uses a tried and true wet sump design. —Fox News Staff, Fox News, 3 July 2022

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sompe swamp — more at swamp

First Known Use

1680, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sump

• sump pump

Kids Definition

sump

noun

ˈsəmp 

: a pit or reservoir serving as a container or as a drain for liquids