water

[ waw-ter, wot-er ]

/ ˈwɔ tər, ˈwɒt ər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR water ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid, a compound of hydrogen and oxygen, H2O, freezing at 32°F or 0°C and boiling at 212°F or 100°C, that in a more or less impure state constitutes rain, oceans, lakes, rivers, etc.: it contains 11.188 percent hydrogen and 88.812 percent oxygen, by weight.

a special form or variety of this liquid, as rain.

Often waters. this liquid in an impure state as obtained from a mineral spring: Last year we went to Marienbad for the waters.

the liquid content of a river, inlet, etc., with reference to its relative height, especially as dependent on tide: a difference of 20 feet between high and low water.

the surface of a stream, river, lake, ocean, etc.: above, below, or on the water.

waters,

flowing water, or water moving in waves: The river's mighty waters.
the sea or seas bordering a particular country or continent or located in a particular part of the world: We left San Diego and sailed south for Mexican waters.

a liquid solution or preparation, especially one used for cosmetic purposes: lavender water; lemon water.

Often waters. Medicine/Medical.

amniotic fluid.
the bag of waters; amnion: Her water broke at 2 a.m.

any of various solutions of volatile or gaseous substances in water: ammonia water.

any liquid or aqueous organic secretion, exudation, humor, or the like, as tears, perspiration, or urine.

Finance. fictitious assets or the inflated values they give to the stock of a corporation.

a wavy, lustrous pattern or marking, as on silk fabrics or metal surfaces.

(formerly) the degree of transparency and brilliancy of a diamond or other precious stone.

take water, (of a boat) to allow water to enter through leaks or portholes or over the side.

verb (used with object)

to sprinkle, moisten, or drench with water: to water the flowers; to water a street.

to supply (animals) with water for drinking.

to furnish with a supply of water, as a ship.

to furnish water to (a region), as by streams; supply (land) with water, as by irrigation: The valley is watered by a branch of the Colorado River. Our land is watered by the All-American Canal.

to dilute, weaken, soften, or adulterate with, or as with, water (often followed by down): to water soup; to water down an unfavorable report.

Finance. to issue or increase the par value of (shares of stock) without having the assets to warrant doing so (often followed by down).

to produce a wavy, lustrous pattern, marking, or finish on (fabrics, metals, etc.): watered silk.

verb (used without object)

to discharge, fill with, or secrete water or liquid, as the eyes when irritated, or as the mouth at the sight or thought of tempting food.

to drink water, as an animal.

to take in a supply of water, as a ship: Our ship will water at Savannah.

adjective

of or relating to water in any way: a water journey.

holding, or designed to hold, water: a water jug.

worked or powered by water: a water turbine.

heating, pumping, or circulating water (often used in combination): hot-water furnace; city waterworks.

used in or on water: water skis.

containing or prepared with water, as for hardening or dilution: water mortar.

located or occurring on, in, or by water: water music; water frontage.

residing by or in, or ruling over, water: water people; water deities.

Nearby words

watchout, watchstrap, watchtower, watchword, watenstedt-salzgitter, water, water arum, water ash, water back, water bag, water bailiff

Idioms

above water, out of embarrassment or trouble, especially of a financial nature: They had so many medical bills that they could hardly keep their heads above water.

break water,

to break the surface of the water by emerging from it.
Swimming. to break the surface of the water with the feet, especially in swimming the breaststroke doing the frog kick.
Medicine/Medical. to break the amniotic sac prior to parturition.

by water, by ship or boat: to send goods by water.

dead in the water. dead(def 41).

hold water,

to be logical, defensible, or valid: That accusation won't hold water.
to check the movement of a rowboat by keeping the oars steady with the blades vertical.

in deep water, in great distress or difficulty: Their marriage has been in deep water for some time.

in hot water. hot water.

like water, lavishly; abundantly; freely: The champagne flowed like water.

make one's mouth water, to excite a desire or appetite for something: The roasting turkey made our mouths water.

make water,

(of a boat) to allow water to enter; leak.
to urinate.

tread water. tread(def 23).

Origin of water

before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English wæter; cognate with Dutch water, German Wasser; akin to Old Norse vain, Gothic wato, Hittite watar, Greek hýdōr; (v.) Middle English wateren, Old English wæterian, derivative of the noun

Related forms

wa·ter·er, nounwa·ter·less, adjectivewa·ter·less·ly, adverbwa·ter·less·ness, noun

wa·ter·like, adjectiveout·wa·ter, verb (used with object)o·ver·wa·ter, verbre·wa·ter, verb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for water

Fluoride first entered an American water supply through a rather inelegant technocratic scheme.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
When cities started adding chlorine to their water supplies, in the early 1900s, it set off public outcry.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
In secret, before the referendum, the council went ahead and fluoridated the water anyway.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
Instead of going for the hole, I hit the ball directly into the water.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art|Alec Kubas-Meyer|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Other officials told reporters that searchers also spotted a life vest and baggage in the water.
Wreckage, Bodies of AirAsia Crash Found|Lennox Samuels|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The lake dwellers had fires, both on shore and in their huts over the water.
Notable Events of the Nineteenth Century|Various
Just as Persia has its Ruths gleaning in the fields, so also Rebekah with her water pot may be seen daily.
Oriental Women|Edward Bagby Pollard
If it becomes too stiff add a few drops of water, and stir it again.
The Century Cook Book|Mary Ronald
She'd most think she could see their pretty upturned faces in the water.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine|Various
This boat, which floats upon the surface of the water until the larv are disclosed, is placed there by the female gnat.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. III (of 4)|William Kirby

British Dictionary definitions for water

water

/ (ˈwɔːtə) /

noun

a clear colourless tasteless odourless liquid that is essential for plant and animal life and constitutes, in impure form, rain, oceans, rivers, lakes, etc. It is a neutral substance, an effective solvent for many compounds, and is used as a standard for many physical properties. Formula: H 2 ORelated adjective: aqueous Related combining forms: hydro-, aqua-

any body or area of this liquid, such as a sea, lake, river, etc
(as modifier)water sports; water transport; a water plant Related adjective: aquatic

the surface of such a body or areafish swam below the water

any form or variety of this liquid, such as rain

See high water, low water

any of various solutions of chemical substances in waterlithia water; ammonia water

physiol

any fluid secreted from the body, such as sweat, urine, or tears
(usually plural) the amniotic fluid surrounding a fetus in the womb

a wavy lustrous finish on some fabrics, esp silk

archaic the degree of brilliance in a diamondSee also first water

excellence, quality, or degree (in the phrase of the first water)

finance

capital stock issued without a corresponding increase in paid-up capital, so that the book value of the company's capital is not fully represented by assets or earning power
the fictitious or unrealistic asset entries that reflect such inflated book value of capital

(modifier) astrology of or relating to the three signs of the zodiac Cancer, Scorpio, and PiscesCompare air (def. 20), earth (def. 10), fire (def. 24)

above the water informal out of trouble or difficulty, esp financial trouble

hold water to prove credible, logical, or consistentthe alibi did not hold water

in deep water in trouble or difficulty

make water

to urinate
(of a boat, hull, etc) to let in water

pass water to urinate

test the water See test 1 (def. 5)

throw cold water on or pour cold water on informal to be unenthusiastic about or discourage

water under the bridge events that are past and done with

verb

(tr) to sprinkle, moisten, or soak with water

(tr often foll by down) to weaken by the addition of water

(intr) (of the eyes) to fill with tears

(intr) (of the mouth) to salivate, esp in anticipation of food (esp in the phrase make one's mouth water)

(tr) to irrigate or provide with waterto water the land; he watered the cattle

(intr) to drink water

(intr) (of a ship, etc) to take in a supply of water

(tr) finance to raise the par value of (issued capital stock) without a corresponding increase in the real value of assets

(tr) to produce a wavy lustrous finish on (fabrics, esp silk)

Word Origin for water

Old English wæter, of Germanic origin; compare Old Saxon watar, Old High German wazzar, Gothic watō, Old Slavonic voda; related to Greek hudor

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for water (1 of 3)

water

n.1

Old English wæter, from Proto-Germanic *watar (cf. Old Saxon watar, Old Frisian wetir, Dutch water, Old High German wazzar, German Wasser, Old Norse vatn, Gothic wato "water"), from PIE *wodor/*wedor/*uder-, from root *wed- (cf. Hittite watar, Sanskrit udrah, Greek hydor, Old Church Slavonic and Russian voda, Lithuanian vanduo, Old Prussian wundan, Gaelic uisge "water;" Latin unda "wave").

Linguists believe PIE had two root words for water: *ap- and *wed-. The first (preserved in Sanskrit apah) was "animate," referring to water as a living force; the latter referred to it as an inanimate substance. The same probably was true of fire (n.).

To keep (one's) head above water in the figurative sense is recorded from 1742. Water cooler is recorded from 1846; water polo from 1884; water torture from 1928. First record of water-closet is from 1755. Water-ice as a confection is from 1818. Watering-place is mid-15c., of animals, 1757, of persons. Water-lily first attested 1540s.

Word Origin and History for water (1 of 3)

water

Old English wæterian (see water (n.1)). Meaning "to dilute" is attested from late 14c.; now usually as water down (1850). To make water "urinate" is recorded from early 15c. Related: Watered; watering.

Word Origin and History for water (2 of 3)

water

n.2

measure of quality of a diamond, c.1600, from water (n.1), perhaps as a translation of Arabic ma' "water," which also is used in the sense "lustre, splendor."

Medicine definitions for water

water

[ wô′tər ]

n.

A clear, colorless, odorless, and tasteless liquid essential for most plant and animal life and the most widely used of all solvents. Freezing point 0°C (32°F); boiling point 100°C (212°F); specific gravity (4°C) 1.0000; weight per gallon (15°C) 8.338 pounds (3.782 kilograms).

Any of the liquids that are present in or passed out of the body, such as urine, perspiration, tears, or saliva.

The fluid that surrounds a fetus in the uterus; amniotic fluid.

An aqueous solution of a substance, especially a gas.

Science definitions for water

water

[ wô′tər ]

A colorless, odorless compound of hydrogen and oxygen. Water covers about three-quarters of the Earth's surface in solid form (ice) and liquid form, and is prevalent in the lower atmosphere in its gaseous form, water vapor. Water is an unusually good solvent for a large variety of substances, and is an essential component of all organisms, being necessary for most biological processes. Unlike most substances, water is less dense as ice than in liquid form; thus, ice floats on liquid water. Water freezes at 0°C (32°F) and boils at 100°C (212°F). Chemical formula: H2O.

Idioms and Phrases with water

water

In addition to the idioms beginning with water

water down
water over the dam

also see:

above water
backwater
blood is thicker than water
blow out (of the water)
come on in (the water's fine)
dead in the water
fish in troubled waters
fish out of water
head above water
hell or high water
high-water mark
hold water
hot water
in deep (water)
keep one's head (above water)
like water off a duck's back
make one's mouth water
muddy the waters
of the first water
pour cold water on
pour oil on troubled waters
still waters run deep
take to (like a duck to water)
throw out the baby with the bath water
tread water
you can lead a horse to water

water

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

adjective

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Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of water

Examples from the Web for water

British Dictionary definitions for water

water

noun

verb

Word Origin for water

Word Origin and History for water (1 of 3)

water

Word Origin and History for water (1 of 3)

water

Word Origin and History for water (2 of 3)

water

Medicine definitions for water

water

n.

Science definitions for water

water

Idioms and Phrases with water

water