aqua
1 Americannoun
adjective
Usage
What does aqua- mean? Aqua- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “water.” It is occasionally used in a variety of scientific and technical terms. Aquia comes from Latin aqua, meaning “water.” The Greek translation is hýdōr, meaning “water,” which is the source of such combining forms as hydro-. What are variants of aqua-?In some terms, aqua- becomes aqui-, as in aquifer, from French aquifère. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article on aqui-.
Etymology
Origin of aqua1
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin: water
Origin of aqua-2
Probably originally attributive use of aqua, or generalized from words in which it is etymologically the head noun of a phrase, as aquamarine, aquatint
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Next season’s salary cap is projected to be just above $300 million—and the Dolphins may be dedicating around two-thirds of that to players no longer wearing aqua on Sundays.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026
Eateries in Italy, Denmark and the U.K. offer their own aqua explorations.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025
A glowing Lea Michelle walked the carpet wearing a Rodarte aqua gown with a tulle cape, two months after announcing she was pregnant for the second time.
From BBC • May 6, 2024
They chose to paint it “quetzal,” a rich aqua color that serves as a uniting element for the room’s other pedestals.
From New York Times • May 2, 2024
His toe was now a deep and angry aqua, but the anger and much of the pain had diminished.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
