hydro
noun
hydroelectric power.
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hidro.
hydro
1 American
[hahy-droh]
/ ˈhaɪ droʊ /
noun
-
hydros
plural
-
Informal. hydroelectric power.
-
Informal. hydroplane.
-
British.
-
a bathhouse, hotel, or resort catering to people taking mineral-water health cures; spa.
-
an establishment furnishing hydrotherapy.
-
adjective
hydro-
2
American
hydro-
3
American
hydro
1
British
/ ˈhaɪdrəʊ /
adjective
noun
Hydro
2
British
/ ˈhaɪdrəʊ /
noun
hydro
3
British
/ ˈhaɪdrəʊ /
noun
hydro-
4
British
combining form
-
indicating or denoting water, liquid, or fluid
hydrolysis
hydrodynamics
-
indicating the presence of hydrogen in a chemical compound
hydrochloric acid
-
indicating a hydroid
hydrozoan
hydro–
Scientific
Usage
What does hydro- mean? Hydro- is a combining form used like a prefix that has two distinct senses. The first of these senses is “water,” and this form of hydro- is often used in a variety of scientific and technical terms. Hydro- comes from Greek hýdōr, meaning “water.”The second of these senses is “hydrogen,” and this form of hydro- is occasionally used in a variety of scientific terms, especially in chemistry. Hydrogen, the lightest of the elements, combines with oxygen to form water. The word hydrogen comes from French hydrogène. The suffix -gen, or its equivalent in French, means "that which produces." Hydrogen literally translates to "that which produces water."What are variants of hydro-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, hydro- becomes hydr-, as in hydrant. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article on hydr-.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of hydro1
1880–85; by shortening of compounds with hydro- 1 ( cf. -o); hydro ( def. 4 ) hydro- 1 analyzed as an adj.
Origin of hydro-2
< Greek, combining form of hýdōr water
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.
See Examples For:
Massachusetts requires roughly 69% of electricity supply to come from qualifying renewable or clean-energy sources like Canadian hydro.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
He thought solar, wind and hydro power would each present their own environmental problems.
From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026
Highest demand is expected to be at half-time and full-time, and Neso said its control room was ready to use technologies such as battery farms and pumped hydro storage schemes to keep the system balanced.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
“I will advance renewable energy, import less foreign fuel and stop decommissioning of hydro and nuclear power. However, many current initiatives have unintended consequences, and my plan focuses on incentives, not mandates,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
The editor was still not hack from covering a plowing match; his mother said that the hydro maintenance crew covered a large area of the country...
From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford
By choosing certain spots, each species is hydro- and thermoregulating, Muñoz says.
From Science Magazine ● Sep. 22, 2022
The energy business would encompass equipment and services for gas, coal and wind turbines, hydro-, nuclear and electric power generation.
From Reuters ● Nov. 10, 2021
Solar projects accounted for 60 percent of the projects, while hydro- electric plants were 75 percent of new capacity.
From BusinessWeek ● Sep. 8, 2011
Another class begins with hydro- from the Greek word for water.
From Society for Pure English Tract 4 The Pronunciation of English Words Derived from the Latin by John Sargeaunt
Quite lately, Mr Alfred Nobel, the well-known inventor of dynamite, has patented the use of nitro-cellulose, hydro- or oxy-cellulose, as an artificial substitute for indiarubber.
From Nitro-Explosives: A Practical Treatise by P. Gerald (Percy Gerald) Sanford
South Korean utility Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, for example, has signed a long-term supply agreement with Centrus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
Find insight on gold futures, Talon Metals, Norsk Hydro and more in the latest Market Talks covering Basic Materials.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
At the Chilime Hydro tunnel, where Indian teams are deployed, rescuers entered 100 metres inside, but then said it was blocked.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
But they were outplayed on Sunday as Australia cruised to a 66-47 win at The Hydro in Glasgow.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
A few hours later, German soldiers lashed flat train cars carrying forty barrels of heavy water to the deck of the Hydro.
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
Race the hydros, run the hidden ball trick — anything to remind us that making money will always be more important than winning baseball games.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 27, 2018
Hundreds of thousands of us in the state followed it and the other hydros races in the U.S.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 10, 2011
Raney, who group up in Seattle watching the hydros, has been involved with the unlimited series since 1989 when he wandered into Bill Wurster's U-8 shop and was given the task of sweeping the floors.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 18, 2011
A fleet of 180-mph hydros throw long roostertails over three days.
From Time Magazine Archive
Personally I regard all hydros as so many emporiums of disease, an opinion in which I am singular, but that does not convince me I am wrong.
From The Reminiscences of an Irish Land Agent by Sir Home Gordon, Bart.
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.
