effluent

effluent — noun

1. liquid waste containing chemicals or sewage that factories, farms, or treatment

1.名詞B2
釋義

liquid waste containing chemicals or sewage that factories, farms, or treatment plants release into natural waterways such as rivers and the ocean.

例句

The factory was fined for releasing untreated effluent into the river near Samir's town.

untreated effluent — waste that has not been cleaned or processed

Élise tested the creek water below the industrial plant's main effluent pipe.

effluent pipe — a pipe that carries liquid waste

同義詞
  • sewage

    refers specifically to human and household waste, not industrial chemicals

  • wastewater

    broader term that includes used water from homes and businesses

  • discharge

    can refer to solid, liquid, or gaseous waste being released

  • runoff

    rainwater that carries pollutants from land surfaces, not from pipes or plants

反義詞
  • fresh water

    clean, unpolluted water from natural sources

文法句型

effluent + noun (attributive)

uncountable in general reference

用法筆記

Typically uncountable when referring to waste in general ('The river was polluted by effluent'). Becomes countable when specifying different kinds or sources ('Several industrial effluents were found in the sample').

常見錯誤

❌The rich effluent businessman bought a new car.
✅The affluent businessman bought a new car.
💡'effluent' (waste) and 'affluent' (wealthy) sound similar but have very different meanings.
❌The river was polluted by many effluents.' (when referring to general waste)
✅The river was polluted by effluent.
💡For general reference, use the uncountable form.
❌Effluent is the same as human sewage.
✅Sewage is one type of effluent; industrial chemical waste is another.
💡Sewage is a subset of effluent, not a synonym.

effluent — adjective