From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
drain
n 1: emptying something accomplished by allowing liquid to run
out of it [syn: drain, drainage]
2: tube inserted into a body cavity (as during surgery) to
remove unwanted material
3: a pipe through which liquid is carried away [syn: drain,
drainpipe, waste pipe]
4: a gradual depletion of energy or resources; "a drain on
resources"; "a drain of young talent by emigration"
v 1: flow off gradually; "The rain water drains into this big
vat" [syn: drain, run out]
2: deplete of resources; "The exercise class drains me of
energy"
3: empty of liquid; drain the liquid from; "We drained the oil
tank"
4: make weak; "Life in the camp drained him" [syn: enfeeble,
debilitate, drain]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Drain \Drain\ (dr[=a]n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Drained
(dr[=a]nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Draining.] [AS. drehnigean to
drain, strain; perh. akin to E. draw.]
1. To draw off by degrees; to cause to flow gradually out or
off; hence, to cause the exhaustion of.
[1913 Webster]
Fountains drain the water from the ground adjacent.
--Bacon.
[1913 Webster]
But it was not alone that the he drained their
treasure and hampered their industry. --Motley.
[1913 Webster]
2. To exhaust of liquid contents by drawing them off; to make
gradually dry or empty; to remove surface water, as from
streets, by gutters, etc.; to deprive of moisture; hence,
to exhaust; to empty of wealth, resources, or the like;
as, to drain a country of its specie.
[1913 Webster]
Sinking waters, the firm land to drain,
Filled the capacious deep and formed the main.
--Roscommon.
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3. To filter.
[1913 Webster]
Salt water, drained through twenty vessels of earth,
hath become fresh. --Bacon.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Drain \Drain\, v. i.
1. To flow gradually; as, the water of low ground drains off.
[1913 Webster]
2. To become emptied of liquor by flowing or dropping; as,
let the vessel stand and drain.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Drain \Drain\, n.
1. The act of draining, or of drawing off; gradual and
continuous outflow or withdrawal; as, the drain of specie
from a country; the project is a drain on resources.
[1913 Webster]
2. That means of which anything is drained; a channel; a
trench; a water course; a sewer; a sink.
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3. pl. The grain from the mashing tub; as, brewers' drains.
[Eng.] --Halliwell.
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Box drain, Counter drain. See under Box, Counter.
Right of drain (Law), an easement or servitude by which one
man has a right to convey water in pipes through or over
the estate of another. --Kent.
[1913 Webster]
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008) [foldoc]:
drain
<jargon> (IBM) To allow a system to complete the processing of
its current work before the system becomes unavailable.
E.g. draining a device before taking it off-line or telling
a web server in a server farm not to accept any new
requests but to finish processing any requests it has already
accepted.
[Jargon File]
(2005-07-18)
From Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003) [jargon]:
drain
v.
[IBM] Syn. for flush (sense 2). Has a connotation of finality about
it; one speaks of draining a device before taking it offline.