hydrant

hy·drant | \ ˈhī-drənt

How to pronounce hydrant (audio)

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Definition of hydrant

1 : a discharge pipe with a valve and spout at which water may be drawn from a water main (as for fighting fires)

— called also fireplug

Examples of hydrant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The vehicle also went on the lawn, hit a tree and damaged a fire hydrant. — John Benson, cleveland, "After hitting a tree, underage drunk driver leaves behind bumper with license plate: Broadview Heights Police Blotter," 17 June 2020 Brush covered an old fire hydrant across a rutted, unpaved road, muddy from recent rains. — Vincent T. Davis, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio family displaced by fire receives help from South Side community," 5 June 2020 The woman swerved to avoid the other car and veered off the right side of the road striking the fire hydrant, which caused her airbags to deploy. — cleveland, "Woman calls police because another driver was “rude” to her at stoplight: Cleveland Heights police blotter," 13 Mar. 2020 Firefighters who were painting hydrants would bring him what was left in their buckets. — Deirdra Funcheon, Washington Post, "Who Should Get the Artwork of Purvis Young?," 8 Jan. 2020 Ears up •More on Mutts: To enter to win an All-Inclusive VIP Experience to the upcoming Puptopia Festival, take a photo of your dog in front of the giant fire hydrant at the Dallas location. — Tatia Woldt, Dallas News, "Dog About Town: Getting a photo of your four-legged sweetie and more things to do," 24 Jan. 2020 Drunken crash: River Oaks Drive At around 10 p.m. July 16, a caller reported that a car had hit a fire hydrant on River Oaks before continuing toward Center Ridge Road. — Cheryl Higley, cleveland.com, "Suspected drunken driver crashes into I-90 median: Rocky River Police Blotter," 29 July 2019 The town of Harvard is under a boil-water order after a driver crashed into a hydrant Sunday morning rupturing it and causing a 15-foot spout of water that emptied the town’s water tank, according to a public works official. — Max Jungreis, BostonGlobe.com, "Town of Harvard under a boil-water order after water main break," 2 Feb. 2020 Officers responding to the crime saw the getaway vehicle and followed it, causing a pursuit that ended when the suspects crashed into a fire hydrant on Tidewater Drive, police said. — Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, "Three teens suspected of breaking into East Bay home, pulling guns on family," 20 Sep. 2019

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

History and Etymology for hydrant

Greek hydr-, form in derivatives and compounds of hýdōr "water" + -ant entry 1 — more at hydro-

Note: Though the above is the only likely etymology, the formation is peculiar, as the suffix -ant is normally associated with verbs of French and/or Latin origin. This peculiarity suggests a deliberate coinage, but its source is apparently unknown. The word is attested earliest in Philadelphia city ordinances from the first decade of the nineteenth century,

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Dictionary Entries near hydrant

hydrangea family

Statistics for hydrant

Last Updated

30 Jun 2020

Cite this Entry

“Hydrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrant. Accessed 10 Jul. 2020.

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