anhydrous

adjective

an·​hy·​drous (ˌ)an-ˈhī-drəs 

: free from water and especially water of crystallization

Examples of anhydrous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Last week, an anhydrous ammonia leak caused by an explosion at a plant north of Yazoo City, Mississippi, prompted evacuations for nearby residents. —Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2025

Zoeller added that he's heard farmers wonder why the United States doesn't have a domestic source of anhydrous ammonia. —Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 30 Oct. 2025

According to Tri-City Herald reporting, 28,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia was on the property when the fire started in the freezer. —Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2025

When Johnson was a 12-year-old growing up in Shreveport, his father Pat, a firefighter, was called to a cold-storage plant because of an anhydrous ammonia leak. —Eric Cortellessa, Time, 7 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from French anhydre "waterless" (borrowed from Greek ánydros, from an- an- + -ydros, form in combination of hydat-, hýdōr "water") + -ous — more at water entry 1

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for anhydrous

• hydrous

Kids Definition

anhydrous

adjective

an·​hy·​drous (ˈ)an-ˈhī-drəs 

: free from water

Medical Definition

anhydrous

adjective

an·​hy·​drous (ˈ)an-ˈhī-drəs 

: free from water and especially water that is chemically combined in a crystalline substance

anhydrous ammonia