aquatic

adjective aquat·ic \ ə-ˈkwä-tik , -ˈkwa- \

Updated on: 20 May 2018

Definition of aquatic

1 : growing or living in or frequenting water

aquatic mosquito larvae

2 : taking place in or on water

aquatic sports

—

aquatically

play \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See aquatic defined for English-language learners

See aquatic defined for kids

Examples of aquatic in a Sentence

a lifelong fascination with sharks and other fearsome aquatic creatures

Recent Examples of aquatic from the Web

Visitors can view the aquatic, bulb circle, children’s growing, dwarf conifer, enabling, English walled, heritage, Japanese, lakeside, landscape, native plant, nature play, plant evaluation, rose, sensory, water and waterfall gardens.

— shonda talerico dudlicek, chicagotribune.com, "Summer brings a model railroad and butterflies to Chicago Botanic Garden," 13 May 2018
States were asked to rank their 15 most potent and and potentially problematic terrestrial and aquatic invasive species.

— phil drake, USA TODAY, "Feral cats listed among top invasive species in the West," 22 Mar. 2018
The couple’s name also graces a renovated cottage at Greenwich Point Park, which was built in 1903 and is used for environmental and aquatic science programs.

— neil vigdor, courant.com, "Livvy Floren Still On Solid GOP Ground After Siding With Democrats on McDonald Nomination," 14 Mar. 2018
This year’s special weekend, March 10 and 11, will feature areas including the aquatic and reptile center, winter quarters, the train shop and the commissary.

— jennifer diliberti-shea, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Go behind the scenes at the Milwaukee County Zoo to be educated and entertained," 5 Mar. 2018
Otters are opportunistic carnivores, feeding on a variety of aquatic (and some terrestrial) creatures.

— shanon tompkins, San Antonio Express-News, "Otters making a welcome return to Texas waterways," 15 Feb. 2018
That means the university receives a range of research grants, including funding for aquatic and space research.

— wilborn p. nobles iii, NOLA.com, "LSU study puts school's statewide economic impact at $5.1 billion," 5 Feb. 2018
Dippers eat aquatic and flying insects and are skilled enough to catch small fish, Willson said.

— ned rozell, Anchorage Daily News, "Snorkeling songbird: Dippers swim Alaska rivers throughout winter," 6 Jan. 2018
Therefore, scientists often resort to biological indicators, such as aquatic insects and fish, to assess water quality.

— theresa laverty, Smithsonian, "Where Clean Drinking Water Is Hard To Find, Bats Could Lead the Way," 2 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aquatic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of aquatic

see aqua

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1610

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

aquatic Synonyms

Synonyms

submarine, submerged, sunken, underwater;

Related Words

oceanic;

undersea;

abysmal, abyssal, deep, deep-sea, deepwater;

Other Ecology Terms

Malthusian, anthropogenic, biomass, carbon footprint, crepuscular, niche, sere, symbiosis, taiga, tundra

aquatic

noun

Definition of aquatic

1 : an aquatic animal or plant

2 aquatics plural in form but singular or plural in construction : water sports

Recent Examples of aquatic from the Web

Swimming will be a part of many of the camp programs, according to Brandon Magnini, the park district’s recreation supervisor of youth, teens, cultural arts and aquatics.

— steve sadin, chicagotribune.com, "Deerfield Park District to unveil new summer camp programs," 2 Apr. 2018
The Glastonbury town council has unanimously approved funding for a feasibility study for an aquatics facility in town.

— peter marteka, Courant Community, "Glastonbury Town Council Approves Aquatics Center Feasibility Study," 26 Apr. 2018
The Olympic champion touched home in 58.84 seconds at the Gold Coast aquatics center, with his compatriot James Wilby taking silver and South Africa's Cameron van der Burgh bronze.

— aimee lewis, CNN, "Adam Peaty and Chad le Clos win gold on record-breaking night," 7 Apr. 2018
Great Wolf Lodge is recruiting people to fill a variety of positions including guest services, housekeeping, human resources, aquatics, attractions, food and beverage and retail.

— atlanta life, ajc, "Great Wolf Lodge hiring hundreds for LaGrange water park," 6 Apr. 2018
New projects coming: New aquatics center at Clague Park.

— linda gandee/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Mayor of Westlake gives State of the City address," 20 Mar. 2018
Also planned for a site next to the senior center is a large aquatics center that would have the city’s first new swimming pools in more than 50 years.

— phil diehl, sandiegouniontribune.com, "First hotel on track for city's park property," 16 Mar. 2018
This is not the nation's first dog aquatics center, a title that reportedly belonged to a Los Angeles facility that opened in 1985 and later closed.

— karin brulliard, chicagotribune.com, "Dog-only swimming pools cater to to canines in need of rehab," 10 Mar. 2018
The products could be contaminated with leucomalachite green residue, a chemical derived from a dye used in the aquatics industry to treat certain types of infections that can be harmful to humans.

— azcentral, "Company recalls catfish sold in Arizona, six other states," 9 Mar. 2018