water stressn.
/ˈwɔːtə ˌstrɛs/, U.S. /ˈwɔdər ˌstrɛs/, /ˈwɑdər ˌstrɛs/ 1. Mechanical stress in a structure or part arising from the presence of water nearby or inside it.
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the world > matter > physics > mechanics > force > stress or force exerted and tending to deform > [noun] > other specific types of stress
shear1850
shear strain1856
bending stress1858
proof strain1858
proof stress1862
shearing stress1869
shear stress1872
water stress1895
slip1900
fibre stress1905
hoop stress1909
1895 Power Dec. 19/4 The injection water was not shut off nor the relief valves open in the low pressure cylinder... There is no sign of a water stress in the piston or cylinder head.
1935 Pop. Sci. Monthly Aug. 11/1 Delicately regulated pumps subjected these models to water stresses exactly proportional to those of real dams.
1998 W. van Schelt et al. in L. Ozdemir N. Amer. Tunneling '98 140/1 The geotechnical instrumentation is installed just to monitor variation of ground and water stresses..above and beside the tunnel.
2. Botany and Agriculture. Physiological stress experienced by a plant as a result of a lack of available moisture or a low water potential in the surrounding soil; an instance of this.
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the world > plants > disease or injury > [noun] > damage due to environmental conditions
wind-stroke1657
carbunculation1666
firing1693
fire blast1727
houseburning1757
winter-killing1827
sun scald1850
scalding1865
sunburn1865
wind-blow1921
water stress1922
balling1928
windrock1969
wind-rocking1972
Waldsterben1983
1922 C. J. King in U.S. Dept Agric. Bull. 1018 7 When very high temperatures were prevailing..the plants..exhibited what might be termed a ‘water stress’.
1941 Ecology 22 158/1 The tall grass or true prairie has..precipitation averages as high as 30 or even 40 inches per year, and water stress is much less evident.
1990 R. Staines Market Gardening vi. 87 A plant that suffers no water stress will reach harvest quicker and have a greater weight than one which needs to struggle to survive.
2012 Newcastle (Austral.) Herald (Nexis) 16 June 20 The plants have experienced a little bit of water stress but they should be fine as the cooler weather arrives.
3. Economic or political pressures in a country or region as a result of insufficient access to fresh water.
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the world > action or operation > adversity > [noun] > oppression, persecution, or affliction > overpowering pressure of an adverse force
stressc1400
distress1485
thrust1513
straint1534
heft1587
pinchc1594
rack1806
pend1823
water stress1991
1991 Guardian 6 Dec. 29/4 Both Palestinians and Israelis are in what experts describe as ‘nations with deep water stress’, having less than 500 cubic metres annually per person.
1999 Independent on Sunday 26 Sept. i. 1/1 Over one-third of the world's people already live in countries suffering ‘water stress’.
2010 P. J. Campbell et al. Introd. Global Stud. v. 123 Communities are likely to face a variety of challenges, including increased water stress and food insecurity.
Derivatives
ˈwater-ˌstressed adj.
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1931 Contractors & Engineers Monthly Aug. 108/2 The plates also can be used to strengthen existing tunnels which may show signs of being water stressed or which require waterproofing.
1990 Jrnl. Exper. Bot. 41 810/2 [They]..observed a marked difference between transpiration rates of maize leaves placed in the dark and of water-stressed leaves having small stomatal openings.
2010 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 7 Apr. b3/2 The survey asks companies to identify the percentage of their operations in the world's water-stressed areas.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2015; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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