hydroponics
Americannoun
noun
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The cultivation of plants in a nutrient-rich solution, rather than in soil, and under controlled conditions of light, temperature, and humidity.
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Also called aquaculture
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hydroponics
First recorded in 1935–40; hydro- 1 + (geo)ponics
Explanation
The process of growing plants without soil is called hydroponics. Using hydroponics to grow tomatoes means their roots will be suspended in a liquid nutrient solution instead of growing down into dirt. You can see "water" in the word hydroponics if you look closely: hydro means "water" in Greek. Usually, using hydroponics means that plants grow in water that's mixed with nutrients, although they sometimes grow in gravel, coir, wool, or some other material instead. The ponics part of the word also has a Greek root, ponein, "to labor or toil."
Vocabulary lists containing hydroponics
Elements of the Universe: Hydr, Hydro ("Water")
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hydr, hydro
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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.
He discovered hydroponics, an innovative cultivation technique where vegetables are grown not in soil, but in a solution of water enriched with essential nutrients.
From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026
The server that contained Ellie’s brain lived in the basement surrounded by a sophisticated hydroponics system.
From Slate ● Jan. 27, 2024
Mineral wool is often used as cultivation substrate in hydroponics.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 27, 2023
Moving away from tradition, hydroponics skips soil completely to grow crops in nutrient-rich water, often indoors where every aspect can be controlled to maximize yield.
From National Geographic ● Dec. 12, 2023
“I see. And that is where those trifling maladjustments come in which you mentioned awhile ago—steel, hydroponics and so on.”
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
