cesspool

An underground pit where sewage is held.
(broadly) A filthy place.

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈsɛsˌpuːl/

From earlier sesspool. Origin uncertain. Perhaps from Italian cesso (“privy, toilet”) + English pool. Alternatively, an alteration of English dialectal suspool, from suss, soss (“puddle; mire”) + pool. Another possible derivation is from a folk etymology (influence from pool) from earlier cesperalle, alteration of Middle English suspiral, from Middle French souspirail (“air hole”), from soupirer, souspirer (“to sigh, breathe”), from Latin suspirare.