French drain

noun

A shallow trench, sometimes lined with tile or containing a perforated pipe, backfilled with gravel and then covered over, used to collect and channel runoff water.

Similar
weeping tilefoundation drainrubble drain
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Meanings

nounFrench drain (plural French drains)

plural French drains

  1. A shallow trench, sometimes lined with tile or containing a perforated pipe, backfilled with gravel and then covered over, used to collect and channel runoff water.
  2. A gravel-filled corridor with a perforated pipe running through it that runs against the foundation footings of a building, used to collect ground water and drain it away from the building's interior.

    Synonyms: weeping tile, foundation drain, rubble drain

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA gravel-filled corridor with a perforated pipe running through it that runs against the foundation footings of a building, used to collect ground water and drain it away from the building's interior.

Similar
weeping tilefoundation drainrubble drain
Also see
rubble drain

Origin

Named after American inventor Henry F. French.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French drain français, drain de fondation
  • drain françaisfoundation drainage
  • drain de fondationfoundation drainage
Cite this entry
APA

French drain. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/French%20drain

MLA

“French drain.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/French%20drain. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “French drain,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/French%20drain.

Source: French drain on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.