noun

waterworks

WAW-tuh-wuhks

noun

The system of pipes, pumps, and reservoirs that supplies water to a town or city.

"The city's waterworks were built over a century ago."

Informally, tears or crying, especially when seen as excessive or manipulative — in the phrase "turn on the waterworks."

"As soon as she was caught, she turned on the waterworks."

How to Use Waterworks

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither a city's water supply system, or, informally, a dramatic burst of crying.

Memory tip

"Turn on the waterworks" always implies the crying is a bit performative rather than fully genuine.

Trace the full origin ↓

Common pairings

turn on the waterworks municipal waterworks

waterworks plural

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Can you complete this real example?

The city's _____ were built over a century ago.

A compound of "water" and "works," in the old sense of "works" meaning a factory or engineered system.