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alcantarilla

sewer, drain

noun ahl-kahn-tah-REE-yah Rare
Travel & Places Landmarks

Origin: From Arabic al-qantara (the bridge/arch).

Also means

culvert

Usage Note

Alcantarilla refers to an underground drainage channel or sewer pipe, as well as the street-level grating that covers it. Its Arabic origin is shared with alcantarillado (sewage system). In everyday speech alcantarilla often means the drain cover or grate in the pavement, while the full underground network is alcantarillado. The word is used throughout the Spanish-speaking world with no significant regional variation.

Examples

"El agua de lluvia corre por la alcantarilla."

Natural Translation

Rainwater runs through the drain.

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