waterborne

adjective

wa·​ter·​borne ˈwȯ-tər-ˌbȯrn 

ˈwä-

: supported, carried, or transmitted by water

waterborne commerce

waterborne diseases

Examples of waterborne in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Over 160 million tons of waterborne cargo travel through the Great Lakes each year, according to the American Great Lakes Ports Association. —Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 10 Sep. 2025

The Milwaukee Health Department is monitoring local emergency department data and has not seen an uptick in visits related to mold irritation or waterborne illness, said spokesperson Caroline Reinwald. —Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025

Two waterborne pathogens have been on the rise in recent years as climate change warms our waters, according to the CDC. —N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025

Malnourished children are also more vulnerable to waterborne diseases like cholera. —Sarah Ferguson, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1559, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for waterborne

• peppercorn
• unicorn
• winterbourne
• adorn
• airborne
• blackthorn
• broomcorn
• buckhorn
• buckthorn
• careworn
• firstborn
• foodborne

Kids Definition

waterborne

adjective

wa·​ter·​borne -ˌbōrn 

-ˌbȯrn

: supported, carried, or passed on by water

waterborne diseases

Medical Definition

waterborne

adjective

wa·​ter·​borne ˈwȯt-ər-ˌbō(ə)rn, ˈwät-, -ˌbȯ(ə)rn 

: carried or transmitted by water and especially by drinking water

waterborne diseases