aquatic

1 of 2

adjective

aquat·​ic ə-ˈkwä-tik How to pronounce aquatic (audio) -ˈkwa- How to pronounce aquatic (audio)
1
: growing or living in or frequenting water
aquatic mosquito larvae
2
: taking place in or on water
aquatic sports
aquatically adverb

aquatic

2 of 2

noun

1
: an aquatic animal or plant
2
aquatics ə-ˈkwä-tiks How to pronounce aquatic (audio)
-ˈkwa-
plural in form but singular or plural in construction : water sports

Examples of aquatic in a Sentence

Adjective a lifelong fascination with sharks and other fearsome aquatic creatures
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
In retaliation, China imposed a blanket ban on all aquatic imports from Japan. Fox News, 26 Sep. 2023 Present at the beginning of a revolution in recreational and military aquatic exploration, the Fifty Fathoms forges on—and this despite being powered by what is, by all admission, antiquated technology. Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 25 Sep. 2023 Laura is a science news writer, covering a wide variety of subjects, but she is particularly fascinated by all things aquatic, paleontology, nanotechnology, and exploring how science influences daily life. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Sep. 2023 Plastic debris from industrial waste and the breakdown of consumer goods can wreak havoc on aquatic ecosystems, in part by introducing toxic chemicals to marine life. Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Sep. 2023 Becker said of the 10th annual Kids Expo and Touch-a-Truck event taking place at the aquatic center. David Sharos, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2023 On the other side are a litany of foes: pirate gangs led by fellow Devil Fruit eaters with unique abilities of their own, aquatic humanoids known as fish-men, and even the militaristic Marines charged with protecting civilians as the good guys of the sea. William Goodman, Men's Health, 5 Sep. 2023 From tarantulas to tigers:Watch animals get on the scale for London Zoo's annual weigh-in One of the largest crocodiles, the aquatic species is native to rivers in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan, and according to the Smithsonian. Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023 The reverse of each model is equally beautiful with a digital print of a unique aquatic animal native to each of the world’s oceans digitally printed on the movement’s rotor. Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 7 Sep. 2023
Noun
Alison Osinski, an aquatics safety expert hired by Roxie’s parents, said Roxie likely drowned in part because the lifeguards didn’t know how to properly scan a pool or recognize drowning behavior. Douglas MacMillan, Washington Post, 16 July 2023 And Santa Ana plans to pull more than $800,000 from its Cannabis Public Benefit Fund this year to bring its aquatics program back in-house. Emily Baumgaertner, BostonGlobe.com, 8 July 2023 According to the agreement, the city will pay the business $15,500 per month, with a 5 percent annual increase, for an aquatics manager, head lifeguard and lifeguards. Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 July 2023 Hours change with seasons, but the pool is currently open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., while the slide’s hours will be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Only overnight guests of Paradise Pier and, eventually, Pixar Place will have access to the slide and aquatics facility. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2023 At the conference in early June, city officials warned teens of the dangers of pool-hopping during the city aquatics centers’ off hours. Dillon Mullan, Baltimore Sun, 19 July 2023 The facade of the aquatics training center was damaged in protests Thursday, Reuters reported, and buses parked near the construction site were set on fire. Leila Sackur, NBC News, 2 July 2023 The Hyde Park resident started at Camp Harbor View as a middle-schooler, and now is its aquatics director. Ellie Wolfe, BostonGlobe.com, 23 July 2023 The games would focus on individual track and field, aquatics, gymnastics, weight lifting, and combat competitions, but no dates or locations are announced. Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 26 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aquatic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

earlier, "of water," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, "living in water," going back to Old French aquatike "having the nature of water," borrowed from Latin aquāticus "of water, growing or living in water," from aqua "water" + -āticus, adjective suffix of appurtenance — more at island entry 1, -age

Noun

derivative of aquatic entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aquatic was circa 1600

Dictionary Entries Near aquatic

Cite this Entry

“Aquatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aquatic. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

aquatic

1 of 2 adjective
1
: growing or living in or often found in water
aquatic animals
2
: performed in or on water
aquatic sports

aquatic

2 of 2 noun
: an aquatic animal or plant

Medical Definition

aquatic

adjective
: growing or living in or frequenting water
aquatic mosquito larvae

More from Merriam-Webster on aquatic

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