aqua
noun
aqua
1 American
[ak-wuh, ah-kwuh]
/ ˈæk wə, ˈɑ kwə /
aqua-
2
American
aqua
British
/ ˈækwə /
noun
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
Explanation
Aqua is a greenish-blue color, often thought of as the shade of water. When you buy a new blender, you might decide that the aqua one will brighten up your kitchen. Aqua is pretty close to the color known as cyan, almost exactly halfway between green and blue on the color spectrum. You can buy aqua clothing or aqua paint if you love the color and want your dining room to feel cool and colorful. The word aqua is sometimes also used to mean "water," and in fact the Latin root means "water, the sea, or rain."
Vocabulary lists containing aqua
Blue
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Elements of the Universe: Aqua ("Water")
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Scrabble: Four-Letter Words with 3 Vowels
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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.
But that was before the Miami Grand Prix moved in—before the artificial marina, the aqua chicane or the race weekends that packed in 275,000 fans.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
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
Wearing a purple, yellow and magenta colorblocked T-shirt, Okatsuka flashes aqua nails topped off with hot dog charms.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2025
He said aqua parks needed to be more tightly governed, adding he and Ms Parker wanted to protect other parents from the "torment" of losing a child.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2025
I grit my teeth as Venia, a woman with aqua hair and gold tattoos above her eyebrows, yanks a strip of Fabric from my leg tearing out the hair beneath it.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
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.
