hydrodynamic

American  

[hahy-droh-dahy-nam-ik, -di-] / ˌhaɪ droʊ daɪˈnæm ɪk, -dɪ- /

adjective

1. pertaining to forces in or motions of liquids.

2. of or relating to hydrodynamics.

---

hydrodynamic British  

/ -dɪ-, ˌhaɪdrəʊdaɪˈnæmɪk /

adjective

1. of or concerned with the mechanical properties of fluids

2. of or concerned with hydrodynamics

---

Other Word Forms

• hydrodynamically adverb

Etymology

Origin of hydrodynamic

First recorded in 1770–80; hydro- ¹ + dynamic

Example Sentences

In a statement Tuesday, harbor officials said the incident illuminated “a new vulnerability in floating dock design: a previously underrecognized hydrodynamic failure mechanism.”

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 5, 2025

"There's a complex, nonlinear hydrodynamic interaction between saltwater surge-driven flooding and freshwater rainfall-driven flooding, that forms compound flooding that a lot of existing methods ignore," Sarhadi says.

From Science Daily • Jan. 24, 2024

Baby dolphins can't swim as fast as their mothers, so in this position, they are given "hydrodynamic benefits," which allows them to keep up with the pod.

From Salon • Mar. 9, 2023

When Navy scientists began working with their first dolphin, in 1959, they hoped simply to imitate it and learn how to design more hydrodynamic torpedoes.

From New York Times • Jan. 31, 2023

Every other mammal that went to sea—seals, sea cows, dolphins—had to evolve for aeons to develop specialised organs and a hydrodynamic body.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari