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hydration

American  
[hahy-dray-shuhn] / haɪˈdreɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. the act or process of supplying water to oneself, another person, or a part of the body.

  2. the act or process of chemically hydrating something.


Explanation

Hydration is what happens when something absorbs water. If your favorite plant is brown and droopy, it may need hydration — or it may be time to buy a new plant! Hydration comes from the verb hydrate, which was originally defined as "form a hydrate" (a chemical compound that includes water), but eventually came to also mean "to restore moisture." Whenever you moisten or add water to something, including drinking a nice big cold glass of water when you're thirsty, that's hydration.

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Vocabulary lists containing hydration

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:

WSJ | Buy Side: These durable and stylish reusable water bottles are great as everyday hydration accessories and gym companions.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 27, 2026

The hydration breaks take place 22 minutes into each half and have been used to show adverts on some US networks.

From BBC Jul. 19, 2026

Fox made at least $250 million on the hydration break ads alone, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

From MarketWatch Jul. 17, 2026

Hayes "has made the hydration breaks must-watch TV for every game ITV have put her on", noted writer Steven Chicken.

From BBC Jul. 17, 2026

It’s the end of June, and Grandpa Ed will soon be meeting her midway during the warmer weather, just to refuel her hydration.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

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