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.

Example Sentences

Sleep, hydration, nutrition and mobility work aren’t extras—they are part of staying healthy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

At the end of my treatment, Chen gave me under-eye gel pad masks, for added hydration, while conducting one last head massage.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

"The enhanced transport behavior we observe, driven by hydration lubrication, is universal, and the same principle can be extended beyond blue-energy devices," he says.

From Science Daily • Mar. 9, 2026

When I book a facial while traveling, I’m not looking for heavy extractions or intensive treatments — just hydration and relaxation.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026

My father has always stressed the importance of diversification, and I like to think that I’ve acquired a diversified portfolio from my hydration business—a portfolio I plan to turn for a profit on eBay.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman