hydrate

American  

[hahy-drayt] / ˈhaɪ dreɪt /

noun

• hydrates
  plural

1. any of a class of compounds containing chemically combined water. In the case of some hydrates, as washing soda, Na 2 CO 3 ⋅10H 2 O, the water is loosely held and is easily lost on heating; in others, as sulfuric acid, SO 3 ⋅H 2 O, or H 2 SO 4 , it is strongly held as water of constitution.

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verb (used with or without object)

• hydrates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• hydrated,
  past participle,  past
• hydrating
  present participle

1. to combine chemically with water.

hydrate British  

/ ˈhaɪdreɪt /

noun

1. a chemical compound containing water that is chemically combined with a substance and can usually be expelled without changing the constitution of the substance

2. a chemical compound that can dissociate reversibly into water and another compound. For example sulphuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) dissociates into sulphur trioxide (SO 3 ) and water (H 2 O)

3. (not in technical usage) a chemical compound, such as a carbohydrate, that contains hydrogen and oxygen atoms in the ratio two to one

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verb

1. to undergo or cause to undergo treatment or impregnation with water

hydrate Scientific  

/ hī′drāt′ /

1. A compound produced by combining a substance chemically with water. Many minerals and crystalline substances are hydrates.

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1. To combine a compound with water, especially to form a hydrate.

2. To supply water to a person in order to restore or maintain a balance of fluids.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hydration
  noun
• hydrator
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• hydrates
  plural

Participles

• hydrating
  present
• hydrated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• hydrate
  simple
• hydrates
  simple
• have hydrated
  perfect
• has hydrated
  perfect
• am hydrating
  progressive
• are hydrating
  progressive
• is hydrating
  progressive
• have been hydrating
  perfect progressive
• has been hydrating
  perfect progressive

Past

• hydrated
  simple
• had hydrated
  perfect
• was hydrating
  progressive
• were hydrating
  progressive
• had been hydrating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will hydrate
  simple
• will have hydrated
  perfect
• will be hydrating
  progressive
• will have been hydrating
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of hydrate

First recorded in 1795–1805; hydr- ¹ + -ate ²

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Explanation

To hydrate is to add or absorb water. It's hot outside — don't forget to hydrate by drinking plenty of water! If you want to sound fancy, you can use the word hydrate every time you get a drink of water. Along with most organisms, we need to hydrate, or ingest water, to stay alive. This verb is also commonly used to mean "moisturize," as in "this magic cream will hydrate your skin like you won't believe!" As a noun, hydrate refers to a chemical compound that includes water molecules. A French chemist coined the noun in 1800 from the Greek hydor, "water."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hydrate hydrates hydrated hydrating

He has to constantly hydrate, so he places big cups of water on both sides of the stage with straws, but sometimes the crew and other actors help him pick up the cup.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

The word hydrate means that water molecules are built into the material's structure.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026

Instead, the medical provider may just tell their patient to keep an eye on their symptoms, wait and hydrate.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

For now, standard European advice remains to close the shutters and windows during the day and to stay indoors and hydrate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

Boo watched her go, shouting, “Don’t forget to hydrate at home! Pandavas are always hydrated!”

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi

The world’s endowment of hydrocarbons is all but limitless, including unimaginable quantities of methane hydrates, not to mention that hydrocarbons can also be grown agriculturally.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026

Water, the main ingredient in most sports drinks, hydrates you.

From Salon ● Jan. 21, 2025

The challenge now is making sure everyone hydrates well to recover as quickly as possible.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 29, 2023

Developed by scientists at the University of Leeds, the saliva substitute is described as comparable to natural saliva in the way it hydrates the mouth and acts as a lubricant when food is chewed.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 20, 2023

I understand that, in modern chemistry, the acids and alkalies are the two extremes of a class of substances called hydrates, the only difference being the radical.

From Scientific American, Vol. XXXVII.?No. 2. [New Series.], July 14, 1877 A Weekly Journal Of Practical Information, Art, Science, Mechanics, Chemistry, And Manufactures by Various

He tells BBC Newsbeat that having a proper schedule and remembering to stay hydrated makes a "refreshing change" from filming the Netflix smash-hit that made him famous.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

People are advised to remain hydrated, avoid the sun, stay in an air-conditioned room and check on loved ones.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

For most of us, that will keep us well hydrated.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

All three moons appear to contain the same hydrated mineral, but researchers have not yet been able to determine exactly what it is.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026

My bladder verged on explosion because of the crazy amount of water we were forced to drink to stay hydrated.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore

When they haven’t been loudly booing, many fans have noticed that teams often appear to spend as much time strategizing during the pauses as they do hydrating.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

The fruit is also made up of about 92% water, making it a hydrating option during hot weather or after exercise.

From Science Daily ● May 17, 2026

I wasn’t hydrating, and so each afternoon I would start having these heart palpitations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026

That brief chill allows the fat to firm and the panade to finish its quiet work, hydrating and binding.

From Salon ● Mar. 11, 2026

My cousin, who keeps urging me to add a hydrating serum with hyaluronic acid and vitamin C to my skincare regime.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

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