hydraulic

adjective hy·drau·lic \ hī-ˈdrȯ-lik \

Definition of hydraulic

1 :operated, moved, or effected by means of water

2 a :of or relating to hydraulics

hydraulic engineer

b :of or relating to water or other liquid in motion

hydraulic erosion

3 :operated by the resistance offered or the pressure transmitted when a quantity of liquid (such as water or oil) is forced through a comparatively small orifice or through a tube

hydraulic brakes

4 :hardening or setting under water

hydraulic cement

—

hydraulically

play \hī-ˈdrȯ-li-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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Recent Examples of hydraulic from the Web

The previous hydraulic dredges can only go about 45 to 50 feet.

— karen ridder, kansascity, "A rainbow of landscaping rock emerges from old Missouri riverbed," 19 Aug. 2017
Easing Rules Zinke has already taken major steps in that direction, overturning an Obama-era moratorium on new coal leases and starting the process of overhauling rules to curb hydraulic fracturing and methane flaring on public lands.

— catherine traywick, Bloomberg.com, "The U.S. Interior Department Has a New Mission: To Make Money," 27 July 2017
Mr. Zinke’s staff on Tuesday filed a legal proposal to rescind the nation’s first safety regulation on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

— coral davenport and nicholas fandos, New York Times, "As Interior Secretary Swaggers Through Parks, His Staff Rolls Back Regulations," 25 July 2017
At full operating capacity, the facility features a series of hydraulic panels and inflatable bladders that are used in sync to create the waves (the staff has years of notes, calibrating waves at different river levels.)

— joe carberry, idahostatesman, "Two ‘obsessed’ Boise River users create the whitewater waves you play in," 17 July 2017
The outside air may be contaminated with engine oil, hydraulic fluid, engine exhaust, ground service vehicle exhaust, fuel, de-icing fluid, or ozone.

— william j. mcgee, CNT, "How Clean (and Safe) Is A Plane's Cabin Air?," 10 July 2017
But the U.S. has experienced an energy renaissance of sorts in the past decade thanks largely to an oil and gas boom that followed advances in hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking.

— justin worland, Time, "President Trump Says He Wants 'Energy Dominance.' What Does He Mean?," 29 June 2017
Among the modern features are full suspensions that support the seat and the front forks, and hydraulic brakes that can be operated with one finger.

— tod leonard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Trail blazers: mountain biking's popularity growing at fast clip," 25 June 2017
An Idaho Power employee perched atop the building during the trip, said the paper, lifting the wires over the church with the help of a hydraulic hoist and a couple of co-workers.

— anna webb, idahostatesman, "Boise likes to move big stuff, and a giant tree is about to go mobile," 23 June 2017

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

Did You Know?

By means of a hydraulic lift, the driver can lift the bed of a dump truck with the touch of a button. He might also repair the hydraulic steering, the hydraulic brake, or the hydraulic clutch—all of which, like the lift that holds everything up, take advantage of the way liquids act under pressure. Somewhat like a pulley or a lever, a hydraulic system magnifies the effect of moderate pressure exerted over a longer distance into powerful energy for a shorter distance.

Origin and Etymology of hydraulic

Latin hydraulicus, from Greek hydraulikos, from hydraulis hydraulic organ, from hydr- + aulos reed instrument — more at alveolus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1661

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HYDRAULIC Defined for English Language Learners

hydraulic

adjective

Definition of hydraulic for English Language Learners

: operated by the pressure of a fluid
: occurring or used in a hydraulic system

HYDRAULIC Defined for Kids

hydraulic

adjective hy·drau·lic \ hī-ˈdrȯ-lik \

Definition of hydraulic for Students

1 :operated, moved, or brought about by means of water

hydraulic pressure

2 :operated by liquid forced through a small hole or through a tube

hydraulic brakes

—

hydraulically

\-li-kə-lē\ adverb

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Spanish Central: Translation of hydraulic Nglish: Translation of hydraulic for Spanish speakers

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hydraulic

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hydraulically

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hydraulic

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hydraulic

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hydraulically

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