culvert

Everyday

A culvert is a tunnel or large pipe that carries a stream or rainwater under a road, railway or path. tree →

In the lessons

In geography and everyday life, culverts let water pass under roads so they do not flood. Safety: never play in or near a culvert; after rain the water can rise very fast and pull a person in. Phrases: storm culvert, under the road through a culvert.

Examples

• The stream flows through a culvert under the road. tree →
• After the storm, the culvert was full of rushing water. tree →
• Stay away from culverts when it rains. tree →
• Leaves blocked the culvert and the road flooded. tree →
• Workers cleared the rubbish from the culvert. tree →
• The ducks swam out of the culvert. tree →

Note

Countable: a culvert, culverts. Pronounced KUL-vert. Similar: drain, pipe, tunnel. A small bridge over a stream is not a culvert; a culvert is underneath.