hydraulics
Americannoun
noun
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The scientific study of water and other liquids, in particular their behavior under the influence of mechanical forces and their related uses in engineering.
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A mechanical device or system using hydraulic components.
Etymology
Origin of hydraulics
Explanation
Hydraulics is the science of the way fluids move. It's the branch of physics and engineering that focuses on the mechanics of liquids. If you want to be a civil engineer, you should probably learn about hydraulics. If you decide to study hydraulics, you'll learn about how fluids like water and oil are used in mechanical tasks. You might read up on hydraulic jacks, which can lift cars using oil that's forced into a cylinder using a kind of pump; or hydraulic fracturing, also known as "fracking," which uses a liquid under pressure to fracture rock and extract oil or gas. Hydraulics comes from the Greek hydraulikos, or "water organ," an ancient musical instrument.
Vocabulary lists containing hydraulics
Engineering - Introductory
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Mechanical Engineering
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Engineering - Middle School
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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.
In it, the sound of the engine’s motor winds down and a horn blares, possibly warning the pilot that the main rotor speed had dropped too low or the helicopter had lost hydraulics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
Howitzers are put together from metal subsystems, such as the barrel, the breech mechanism the shell is loaded into and hydraulics that reduce recoil when artillery fires.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
He said Miller had assumed hydraulics would prevent movement of the grabber assembly.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026
It also opens the door to new ways of controlling liquids in applications ranging from hydraulics and 3D printing to blood flow in the body.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 30, 2026
All I need are hydraulics to bounce around in.
From "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Saenz
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
