water

¹wa·ter

noun, often attributive \ˈwȯ-tər, ˈwä-\

Definition of WATER

1

a : the liquid that descends from the clouds as rain, forms streams, lakes, and seas, and is a major constituent of all living matter and that when pure is an odorless, tasteless, very slightly compressible liquid oxide of hydrogen H₂O which appears bluish in thick layers, freezes at 0° C and boils at 100° C, has a maximum density at 4° C and a high specific heat, is feebly ionized to hydrogen and hydroxyl ions, and is a poor conductor of electricity and a good solvent

b : a natural mineral water —usually used in plural

2

: a particular quantity or body of water: as

a (1) plural : the water occupying or flowing in a particular bed (2) chiefly British : lake, pond

b : a quantity or depth of water adequate for some purpose (as navigation)

c plural (1) : a band of seawater abutting on the land of a particular sovereignty and under the control of that sovereignty (2) : the sea of a particular part of the earth

d : water supply <threatened to turn off the water>

3

: travel or transportation on water <we went by water>

4

: the level of water at a particular state of the tide : tide

5

: liquid containing or resembling water: as

a (1) : a pharmaceutical or cosmetic preparation made with water (2) : a watery solution of a gaseous or readily volatile substance — compare ammonia water

b archaic : a distilled fluid (as an essence); especially : a distilled alcoholic liquor

c : a watery fluid (as tears, urine, or sap) formed or circulating in a living body

d : amniotic fluid; also : bag of waters

6

a : the degree of clarity and luster of a precious stone

b : degree of excellence <a scholar of the first water>

7

: watercolor

8

a : stock not representing assets of the issuing company and not backed by earning power

b : fictitious or exaggerated asset entries that give a stock an unrealistic book value

— above water

: out of difficulty

Examples of WATER

1. Would you like a glass of water?
2. There's water dripping from the ceiling.
3. The kids love playing in the water.
4. A stick was floating on the water.
5. They like to vacation near the water.
6. We are sailing in international waters.
7. They were fishing in Canadian waters.

Origin of WATER

Middle English, from Old English wæter; akin to Old High German wazzar water, Greek hydōr, Latin unda wave

First Known Use: before 12th century

Other Chemical Engineering Terms

alkali, cation, decant, hygroscopic, isotope, oxidize, slurry, solute, viscous

Rhymes with WATER

daughter, slaughter

²water

verb

Definition of WATER

transitive verb

1

: to moisten, sprinkle, or soak with water <water the lawn>

2

: to supply with water for drink <water cattle>

3

: to supply water to <lands watered by the river>

4

: to treat with or as if with water; specifically : to impart a lustrous appearance and wavy pattern to (cloth) by calendering

5

a : to dilute by the addition of water —often used with down <water down the punch>

b : to add to the aggregate par value of (securities) without a corresponding addition to the assets represented by the securities

intransitive verb

1

: to form or secrete water or watery matter (as tears or saliva)

2

: to get or take water: as

a : to take on a supply of water <the boat docked to water>

b : to drink water

Examples of WATER

1. We need to water the lawn.
2. They fed and watered the horses in the barn.
3. My eyes were watering as I chopped the onions.

First Known Use of WATER

before 12th century

Related to WATER

Synonyms

bathe, bedraggle, douse (also dowse), drench, drown, soak, sodden, sop, souse, wash, wet, waterlog, water-soak, wet down

Antonyms

dehydrate, desiccate, dry, parch, scorch, sear

Related Words

asperse, bedew, damp, dampen, drizzle, humidify, hydrate, mist, moisten, moisturize, shower, sprinkle; deluge, flood, hose (down), inundate, overflow; submerge, swamp; splash; impregnate, saturate, steep; flush, irrigate, lave, rinse, slosh, sluice; dip, duck, dunk; rehydrate, rewash, rewet

Near Antonyms

dewater, evaporate, freeze-dry; drip-dry, wring; dehumidify

Rhymes with WATER

blotter, cotter, daughter, dotter, knotter, otter, plotter, potter, Qatar, rotter, spotter, squatter, swatter, Tatar, totter, trotter

water

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Inorganic compound composed of hydrogen and oxygen (HO), existing in liquid, gas (steam, water vapour), and solid (ice) states. At room temperature, water is a colourless, odourless, tasteless liquid. One of the most abundant compounds, water covers about 75% of Earth's surface. Life depends on water for virtually every process, its ability to dissolve many other substances being perhaps its most essential quality. Life is believed to have originated in water (the world's oceans or smaller bodies), and living organisms use aqueous solutions (including blood and digestive juices) as mediums for carrying out biological processes. Because water molecules are asymmetric and therefore electric dipoles, hydrogen bonding between molecules in liquid water and in ice is important in holding them together. Many of water's complex and anomalous physical and chemical properties (high melting and boiling points, viscosity, surface tension, greater density in liquid than in solid form) arise from this extensive hydrogen bonding. Water undergoes dissociation to the ions H⁺ (or HO⁺) and OH, particularly in the presence of salts and other solutes; it may act as an acid or as a base. Water occurs bound (as water of hydration) in many salts and minerals. It has myriad industrial uses, including as a suspending agent (papermaking, coal slurrying), solvent, diluting agent, coolant, and source of hydrogen; it is used in filtration, washing, steam generation, hydration of lime and cement, textile processing, sulfur mining, hydrolysis, and hydraulics, as well as in beverages and foods. See also hard water; heavy water.