culvert

5 synonyms for culvert, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A pipe or covered channel that carries a stream, ditch or drainage water underneath a road, railway or embankment.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

channel

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

conduit drain duct

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

underpass

How to use culvert

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

blocked culvert concrete culvert box culvert culvert under the road

Standard in engineering, planning and flood-risk contexts, and understood generally.

Etymology

Origin obscure, with a number of possible etymologies suggested: * a dialectal word, * a word related to the name of the now-forgotten inventor, * a derivation from French couvert (“covered”), although couvert is not used in this sense and the French translation of culvert is ponceau or buse de drainage, * a derivation...

Full origin of culvert →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a culvert and a bridge?

A culvert carries the water through an enclosed pipe or box with earth and road built on top of it. A bridge spans the water with an open channel underneath. Engineers generally use a culvert for small watercourses and a bridge for larger ones.

What is the difference between a culvert and a storm drain?

A culvert carries an existing stream or ditch under an obstruction. A storm drain is a built system that collects rainwater from roads and roofs and pipes it away. A storm drain may discharge into a culverted watercourse.

Who is responsible for maintaining a culvert?

In most jurisdictions the landowner whose property the watercourse crosses is responsible for keeping it clear, with the highway authority responsible for culverts under public roads. Blocked culverts are a common cause of local flooding.

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Nearby words

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