water power

American  

Or waterpower

noun

1. the power of water used, or capable of being used, to drive machinery, turbines, etc.

2. a waterfall or descent in a watercourse capable of being so used.

3. a water right possessed by a mill.

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water power British  

noun

1. the power latent in a dynamic or static head of water as used to drive machinery, esp for generating electricity

2. a source of such power, such as a drop in the level of a river, etc

3. the right to the use of water for such a purpose, as possessed by a water mill

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Etymology

Origin of water power

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

water power

Opposition to the mammoth tech hubs and their massive thirst of water, power and land has only escalated throughout the state and nation ever since.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2026

A 38-year-old man from Tehran said he has built up a survival kit of canned goods, water, power banks and rechargeable emergency lights just in case.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026

Additionally, they have promised a A$5bn boost to infrastructure to support local councils by paying for water, power and sewerage at housing development sites.

From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2025

Then there are the provisions that each residential unit needs for water, power, toilet and air conditioning.

From Salon ● Jan. 7, 2025

Steam did not overtake water and wind as a source of power until after 1830; in Swift’s Laputa, as in eighteenth-century England, steam power did not replace water power but supplemented it.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton