freshwater

Or fresh-wa·ter

[fresh-waw-ter, -wot-er]

adjective

1. of or living in water that is fresh or not salt.

   freshwater fish.

2. accustomed to fresh water only, and not to the sea.

   a freshwater sailor.

3. small, provincial, or little known.

   a freshwater college.

4. Obsolete.,  untrained or of little experience.

freshwater

/ ˈfrɛʃˌwɔːtə /

noun

1. of, relating to, or living in fresh water

2. (esp of a sailor who has not sailed on the sea) unskilled or inexperienced

3. small and little known

   a freshwater school

freshwater

1. Consisting of or living in water that is not salty.

Word History and Origins

Origin of freshwater¹

First recorded in 1520–30; fresh + water

Example Sentences

Half a century later, they still sit at a depth of 530 feet, on the cold and dark floor of the world’s largest freshwater lake.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Demand for freshwater is set to exceed supply by 40% by 2030, according to the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, a group set up by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A government report last year estimated that more than 75% of native reptile, bird, bat and freshwater fish species groups are threatened with extinction, or are at risk.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

All three rivers are protected for their importance to rare wildlife, including otters, freshwater pearl mussels and the Atlantic salmon.

Read more on BBC

Deep in the Point Reyes National Seashore are a cluster of freshwater ponds.

Read more on Los Angeles Times