water power

American  

Or waterpower

noun

1. the power of water used, or capable of being used, to drive machinery, turbines, etc.

2. a waterfall or descent in a watercourse capable of being so used.

3. a water right possessed by a mill.

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water power British  

noun

1. the power latent in a dynamic or static head of water as used to drive machinery, esp for generating electricity

2. a source of such power, such as a drop in the level of a river, etc

3. the right to the use of water for such a purpose, as possessed by a water mill

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Etymology

Origin of water power

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

A 38-year-old man from Tehran said he has built up a survival kit of canned goods, water, power banks and rechargeable emergency lights just in case.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Complaints about a lack of hot water, power outages, roach infestations and mold contamination have gone unanswered, according to tenants.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2025

Additionally, they have promised a A$5bn boost to infrastructure to support local councils by paying for water, power and sewerage at housing development sites.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2025

Then there are the provisions that each residential unit needs for water, power, toilet and air conditioning.

From Salon • Jan. 7, 2025

Steam did not overtake water and wind as a source of power until after 1830; in Swift’s Laputa, as in eighteenth-century England, steam power did not replace water power but supplemented it.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton