fresh water
Americannoun
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water that does not contain a large amount of salt.
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inland water, as ponds, lakes, or streams, that is not salt.
Etymology
Origin of fresh water
before 900; Middle English; Old English
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.
Winemakers in Argentina's wine capital rely on fresh water from the Andes mountains to irrigate their crops.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
Hundreds of seafarers are calling for help to get home as food and fresh water start to run low after more than a month in limbo.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, operating expenses were nearly three times higher than at other federal facilities, largely because all supplies -- including fresh water -- had to be transported to the island.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
"The ship can produce fresh water by desalinating seawater, but that becomes difficult if we are not sailing," he says.
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026
The Captain followed Caroline to the kitchen and rinsed his hands by pouring a scant dipper of our precious fresh water over them.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
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.
