water /wöˈtər/

1. (in a state of purity, at ordinary temperatures) a clear transparent colourless liquid, perfectly neutral in its reaction, and devoid of taste or smell
2. Extended to the same substance (H₂O) in solid or gaseous state (ice or steam)
3. Any body of this (in varying degrees of impurity), such as an ocean, lake, river, etc
4. The surface of a body of water
5. (in pl) waves, moving water, a body of water
6. A river valley (Scot)
7. The position of the tide, as in high or low water
8. One of the four elements recognized by early natural philosophers
9. A quantity of the liquid used in any one stage of a washing operation
10. A liquid resembling or containing water
11. Mineral water (usu in pl if at a spa)
12. Saliva
13. (usu in pl) the amniotic fluid filling the space between the embryo and the amnion
14. Applied to the fluids secreted by the body, tears, urine, sweat
15. Rain
16. Transparency, lustre, eg of a diamond
17. Class, quality, excellence, esp in the phrase of the first or purest water
18. A wavy sheen on fabric, esp silk or satin
19. An increase in a company's stock issue without an increase in assets to back it up (economics)

1. To wet, overflow or irrigate with water
2. To supply (a plant) with water
3. To give (an animal) water to drink
4. To dilute or adulterate with water
5. To soften by soaking (obsolete)
6. (of a river, etc) to surround (a city, etc) (also water about; obsolete)
7. To wet and press (eg silk) so as to give a wavy appearance to
8. To increase (the debt of a company) by issuing new stock without a corresponding increase in assets

1. To fill with, or shed, water
2. (of the mouth; also, obsolete and Scot, the teeth) to secrete saliva at the sight or thought of food, or (figurative) in anticipation of anything delightful
3. (of an animal) to drink
4. To take in water

1. Relating to or used in the storage or distribution of water
2. Worked by water
3. Used, living or operating on or in water
4. By way of or across water
5. Made with or formed by water

waˈterage noun

1. Conveyance (eg of cargo or passengers) by water
2. Money paid for this

waˈtered adjective

1. (of eg silk) marked with a wavy pattern by watering
2. (of capital or stock) increased in nominal value without any corresponding increase in assets

waˈterer noun

1. Someone who or something that waters
2. A vessel for dispensing water

waˈteriness noun

waˈtering noun

1. The process of giving, irrigating, filling, etc with water
2. The act of drinking (obsolete)
3. Dilution with water
4. The art or process of giving fabric, etc a wavy, ornamental appearance
5. Such an appearance

waˈterish adjective

1. Resembling, abounding in or filled with water
2. Dilute, thin, poor, insipid

waˈterishness noun

waˈterless adjective

waˈtery adjective

1. Full of water
2. (of eyes) moist, secreting water noticeably
3. Relating to, consisting of or containing water
4. Like water
5. Thin or transparent
6. Tasteless
7. Weak, vapid
8. (of the sky or sun) having a rainy appearance
9. Associated with or controlling the sea, tides, rain, etc
10. (of the palate) watering, eager (Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida III.2.20)

water bag noun

1. A bag for holding water
2. A camel's reticulum

water bailiff noun

1. A custom-house officer who inspects ships on reaching or leaving port (obsolete)
2. An official whose duty is to enforce bylaws relating to fishing, or to prevent poaching in protected waters (also, now Scot, water bailie)

water ballast noun

1. Water carried by a ship to balance or redress the change of draught due to consumption of fuel or provisions or discharge of cargo
2. Water carried for purposes of stability

water barometer noun

A barometer in which water is substituted for mercury

water barrel or water cask noun

A barrel or cask for holding water

water bath noun

1. A bath composed of water
2. A vessel of water in which other vessels can be immersed, eg in chemical work

water battery noun

1. A voltaic battery in which the electrolyte is water
2. A battery nearly on a level with the water (fortification)

water bear noun

The tardigrade, a tiny invertebrate with eight legs

Water Bearer or Water Carrier noun

Aquarius

water bed noun

(a bed with) a rubber or plastic mattress filled with water

water beetle noun

Any of a large number of beetles living on or in water, having fringed legs by means of which they swim easily

water bellows plural noun or singular noun

A form of blower worked eg by a column of water falling through a vertical tube, formerly used to supply a blast for furnaces

water bird noun

A swimming or wading bird

water birth noun

A birth in which the mother is partially immersed in water in a birthing pool (qv under birth¹)

water biscuit noun

A thin plain biscuit made with water

water blink noun

1. In Arctic regions, a patch of sky reflecting the colour, and hence indicating the presence, of open water
2. (in pl) the plant blinks (qv under blink)

water blister noun

A blister containing watery fluid, not blood or pus

water bloom or water flowers noun

Large masses of algae, chiefly blue-green, which sometimes develop very suddenly in bodies of fresh water

water boa noun

The anaconda (Eunectes murinus)

waˈterboarding noun

A form of water torture in which the victim is secured to a board, face upwards with the head inclined down, and has water poured over the face, nose and mouth

water boatman noun

Any of a number of aquatic leathery-winged insects with hindlegs suggestive of oars

waˈter-borne or waˈterborne adjective

1. Floating on water
2. Conveyed by water, esp in a boat
3. (of infection, etc) transmitted by means of water

water bottle noun

A leather, glass or plastic bottle for holding drinking water, carried eg by hikers

water bouget /booˈjət/ noun (historical)

A skin or leather bottle used to carry water, usu one of a pair hung on opposite ends of a yoke

waˈter-bound adjective

1. Detained by floods
2. (of a macadam road or road surfacing) formed of broken stone, rolled and covered with a thin layer of hoggin, which is watered in and binds the stones together

water box noun

A water jacket

waˈter-brain noun

Gid, a disease of sheep

water brash noun

Pyrosis, a sudden gush into the mouth of acid fluids from the stomach, accompanied by a burning sensation (heartburn) in the gullet

water break noun

A stretch of water where the current is broken

waˈter-breather noun

Any creature that breathes by means of gills

waˈter-breathing adjective

water brose noun (Scot)

Brose made of meal and water alone

waˈterbuck noun

Any of several antelopes, esp Cobus ellipsiprymnus

water buffalo noun

The common domestic buffalo (genus Bubalus) of India, etc

water bug noun

Any of a large variety of hemipterous insects, including water boatmen, etc, found in or beside ponds, etc

water bull noun

A mythical amphibious animal like a bull

water bus noun

A passenger-carrying boat plying a regular route across a lake, river, etc

water butt noun

A large barrel for collecting rainwater

water cannon noun

A high-pressure hosepipe used to disperse crowds

waˈter-carriage noun

1. Conveyance by water
2. Facilities for it

Water Carrier see Water Bearer above.

water cart noun

A cart for conveying water, esp for the purpose of watering streets or roads

water cell noun

One of several cells in a camel's stomach used for storing water

water cement noun

Hydraulic cement

water chestnut noun

1. A water plant (Trapa natans, or other species) of or related to the Onagraceae
2. Its edible seed
3. A Chinese sedge (Eleocharis tuberosa), or its edible tuber

water chute /shŭt or shoot/ noun

An artificial cascade or slope leading to water, down which people (sometimes in boats or toboggans) slide for sport

water clerk noun (old)

An employee of a ship's chandler, who sails about the harbour to seek custom from the ships about to dock

water clock noun

1. A clock that works by means of flowing water
2. A clepsydra

water closet noun

1. A lavatory of which the pan is flushed by water (old)
2. A small room containing such a lavatory (abbrev WC)

water cock noun

The kora, a large East Indian gallinule

waˈtercolour or (US) waˈtercolor noun

1. A pigment diluted with water and gum (or other substance) instead of oil
2. A painting in such a colour or colours

waˈtercolourist or (US) waˈtercolorist noun

A painter in watercolours

waˈter-cool transitive verb

To cool (eg an engine) by means of water, esp circulating water

waˈter-cooled adjective

water cooler noun

A machine for cooling by means of water or for keeping water cool

waˈter-cooling adjective and noun

waˈter-core noun

1. (in an apple or other fruit) an abnormality consisting of water-soaked tissue, esp close to the core
2. (water core) (in founding) a hollow core through which water may be passed

waˈtercourse noun

1. A channel through which water flows or has flowed
2. An artificial water channel
3. A stream or river

water cow noun

A female water buffalo or water bull

waˈtercraft noun

1. A boat
2. (as pl) boats collectively
3. Skill in swimming, etc, or in managing boats

water crane noun

1. An apparatus for supplying water from an elevated tank, esp to a locomotive tender
2. A hydraulic crane

waˈtercress noun

(often, esp formerly, in pl) a perennial cress (Nasturtium officinale) growing in watery places, used as a salad

water culture noun

A method of cultivation, often an experimental means of determining the mineral requirements of a plant, the plant being grown with its roots dipping into solutions of known composition

water cure noun

Medical treatment by means of water, hydrotherapy

water cycle noun

The cycle in which water from the sea evaporates into the atmosphere, later condenses and falls to earth as rain or snow, then evaporates directly back into the atmosphere or returns to the sea by rivers

water deck noun

A decorated canvas cover for a dragoon's saddle

water deer noun

1. A small Chinese musk deer of aquatic habits
2. In Africa, one of the chevrotains

water diviner noun

A person who, usu with the help of a divining rod, detects or tries to detect the presence of underground water

water doctor noun

1. A hydropathist
2. Formerly, a doctor who divined diseases from the urine

water dog noun

1. Any variety of dog (formerly a specific variety, a small poodle) valuable to sportsmen in hunting waterfowl on account of its aquatic habits
2. A water vole
3. An otter (obsolete)
4. Any of various other animals
5. An experienced sailor (informal)
6. A good swimmer
7. A small irregular floating cloud supposed to indicate rain

waˈter-drinker noun

1. A drinker of water
2. A teetotaller

waˈterdrive noun

The use of water pressure, either occurring naturally or by waterflood (qv below), to drive oil, gas, etc from a reservoir

water drop noun

1. A drop of water
2. A tear

water dropwort noun

A genus (Oenanthe) of umbelliferous plants, including the common water dropwort (Oenanthe fistulosa) and hemlock water dropwort, or water hemlock (Oenanthe crocata)

waˈtered-down adjective

1. Much diluted
2. Reduced in vigour, modified, attenuated

water elder noun

The guelder rose

water engine noun

1. An engine for raising water
2. An engine worked by water
3. An engine for extinguishing fires (obsolete)

water equivalent noun

Thermal capacity, the product of the specific heat of a body and its mass

waˈterfall noun

1. A fall or perpendicular descent of a body of water, a cataract or cascade
2. A necktie (obsolete)
3. A chignon (obsolete)

water fern noun

Any of the Hydropterideae or rhizocarps, water or marsh plants differing from ferns in the narrower sense in being heterosporous, classified in two families, Marsileaceae and Salviniaceae

waˈter-finder noun

A water diviner

water flag noun

The yellow iris

water flea noun

1. The common name for any of numerous minute aquatic crustaceans
2. A daphnid

water flood noun

1. An inundation
2. (waˈterflood) the process or an instance of waˈterflooding, the practice, in oil, gas or petroleum production, of injecting water to maintain pressure in a reservoir and to drive the oil, etc towards the production wells

water flow noun

A current of water

waˈter-flowing adjective

Streaming

water fly noun

1. An aquatic insect
2. An insignificant, troublesome person (Shakespeare)

waˈterfowl noun

1. A fowl that frequents water
2. (as pl) swimming game birds collectively

water frame noun

A water-driven spinning-machine invented by Richard Arkwright in the 18c

waˈterfront noun

The buildings or part of a town along the edge of and facing the sea, a river, etc

water gall noun (obsolete and dialect)

1. A watery appearance in the sky accompanying a rainbow
2. A secondary rainbow

water gap noun

A gap in a mountain range containing a stream

water gas noun

A mixed gas obtained by passing steam (blue water gas) or steam and air (semiwater gas) over incandescent coke, or other source of carbon

water gate noun

1. A floodgate
2. A gate admitting to a river or other body of water
3. A street leading to the water (Scot)
4. See also separate entry Watergate

water gauge or water gage noun

1. An instrument for measuring the quantity or height of water
2. Water pressure expressed in inches, in terms of the height of the head of water
3. An instrument for measuring differences in pressure (mining)

waˈter-gilding noun

Wash-gilding

water glass noun

1. A water clock
2. An instrument for making observations beneath the surface of water
3. A glass vessel for containing water, eg one for holding plants
4. A finger bowl (obsolete)
5. A tumbler
6. (waˈterglass) a concentrated and viscous solution of sodium or potassium silicate in water, used as adhesive, protective covering, etc, and (esp formerly) for preserving eggs

water god noun

A deity presiding over a tract of water

water gong noun (music)

The effect of dipping a vibrating gong into and raising it out of water to produce upward and downward glissandos

water gruel noun

1. Gruel made with water
2. Anything insipid

water guard noun

River, harbour or coast police

water gun noun (esp N American)

A water pistol

water hammer noun

1. A wave of increased pressure travelling through water in a pipe caused by a sudden stoppage or change in the water flow
2. The concussion and noise so caused

water head noun

1. The source, eg of a stream
2. The region where this is found
3. A dammed-up body of water, or its quantity, height or pressure

waˈter-heater noun

An apparatus for heating domestic water

water hemlock noun

1. A poisonous plant, Cicuta virosa
2. Any other plant of the same genus
3. Water dropwort (qv above)

waˈterhen noun

The gallinule or moorhen, or other bird of the rail genus

water hole noun

A pool in which water has collected, eg a spring in a desert or a pool in the dried-up course of a river

water horse noun

1. A water spirit like a horse
2. A kelpie

water hyacinth noun

A tropical floating aquatic plant (Eichhornia crassipes) with bluish flowers, that grows in thick masses in ponds, etc

water ice noun

Sweetened fruit juice or purée diluted with water, frozen and served as a kind of ice cream, a sorbet

waˈtering-call noun

A cavalry trumpet signal to give water to horses

watering can or (US) watering pot noun

A vessel used for watering plants

waˈtering-cap noun (obsolete)

A cavalryman's fatigue cap

watering hole noun

1. A water hole, where animals go to drink
2. A place where humans seek (esp alcoholic) refreshment, a pub (facetious)

waˈtering-house noun (obsolete)

An inn or other place where horses are watered

watering place noun

1. A place where water may be obtained
2. A place to which people resort to drink mineral water, or for bathing, etc

waˈtering-trough noun

1. A trough from which horses and cattle drink
2. A trough between the rails containing water to be scooped up by locomotives

water jacket noun

A casing containing water placed round eg the cylinder block of an internal-combustion engine to keep it cool (also water box)

waˈter-jet adjective

Operated by a jet of water

water joint noun

1. A joint in a pavement that is raised to prevent water lying in it
2. A joint in sheet metal roofing forming a channel for rainwater

water jump noun

A place where a jump across a stream, pool, ditch, etc, has to be made, eg in a steeplechase

water key noun (music)

In brass instruments, a sprung lever that allows drainage of accumulated moisture

water leaf noun

1. Any plant of the genus Hydrophyllum or the family Hydrophyllaceae, N American herbs with sharply toothed leaves and cymose flowers
2. An ornament used in the capitals of columns, probably representing the leaf of some water plant (architecture)

water lemon noun

A species of passion flower, or its edible fruit

water lens noun

A simple lens formed by placing a few drops of water in a vessel, eg a small brass cell with blackened sides and a glass bottom

water level noun

1. The level formed by the surface of still water
2. An instrument in which water is used for establishing a horizontal line of sight
3. A waterline
4. A water table (geology)
5. A slightly inclined road to carry off water (mining)

water lily noun

A name commonly given to the different species of Nymphaea and Nuphar, and also to other members of the family Nymphaeaceae (the three British species are the white water lily Nymphaea alba, and the yellow water lilies Nuphar luteum and Nuphar minimum, the latter being rare)

waˈterline noun

1. Any of several lines on a ship to which it is submerged under different conditions of loading, eg the light waterline marking the depth when it is without cargo
2. Any of certain lines on a vessel parallel with the water showing the contour of the hull at various heights (shipbuilding)
3. The water level
4. The outline of a coast
5. A chain line in laid paper, one of the wider-spaced of the two sets of lines intersecting at right angles, visible by transmitted light (vertical in a folio or octavo page and horizontal in a quarto one)

waˈterlog transitive verb

1. To make (a boat, etc) unmanageable by flooding with water
2. To saturate with water so as to make heavy, inert or unfit for use, or so as to impede life or growth (also figurative)

waˈterlogged adjective

water lot noun

A piece or lot of ground that is under water

water main noun

A large subterranean pipe supplying water

waˈterman noun

1. A man who transports passengers in his boat, a boatman, a ferryman
2. A skilled oarsman
3. A person whose job is to supply water, eg (historical) to cab horses or coach horses
4. An imaginary being living in water

waˈtermanship noun

Oarsmanship

waˈtermark noun

1. The line of the greatest height to which water has risen
2. A tidemark
3. A ship's waterline
4. A distinguishing mark in paper, a design visible by transmitted light, made by the mould or the dandy-roll

transitive verb

1. To mark with a watermark
2. To impress as a watermark

water meadow noun

A meadow kept fertile by flooding from a stream

water measure noun (historical)

A measurement used for goods such as coal, salt, etc sold on board ship, the bushel, etc being larger than the standard bushel, etc

water measurer noun

An aquatic insect of the genus Hydrometra, which walks on the surface of water preying on mosquito larvae, etc

waˈtermelon noun

1. A plant (Citrullus vulgaris) of the cucumber family, of African origin, having a large, pulpy, pleasantly flavoured fruit
2. The fruit itself

water meter noun

An instrument for measuring the quantity of water passing through a particular outlet

water milfoil see under milfoil

water mill noun

A mill driven by water

water moccasin noun

A poisonous snake of the southern USA

water mole noun

1. The desman, a shrew-like aquatic animal
2. The duckbill or platypus

water monkey noun

A round, narrow-necked, porous earthenware jar for holding drinking water, cooled by evaporation and used in hot climates (also monkey jar)

water motor noun

Any water wheel or turbine, esp any small motor driven by water under pressure

water mouse noun

1. The water vole
2. Any mouse of the genus Hydromys (Aust)

water music noun (historical)

Music performed, or composed for performance, during an excursion by water

water nixie noun

A nixie

water nymph noun

A nymph inhabiting water, esp a naiad of Greek mythology

water of crystallization or water of hydration noun

The water present in hydrated compounds, which, when crystallized from solution in water, retain a definite amount of water

water of life noun

1. Spiritual refreshment
2. Whisky, brandy, etc

water on the brain noun

Hydrocephalus

water on the knee noun

An accumulation of serous fluid in the knee joint

water opossum noun

The yapok, an amphibious opossum of S America

water ouzel noun

The dipper, an aquatic songbird of the genus Cinclus

water parsnip noun

Any plant of the aquatic umbelliferous genus Sium, esp the skirret

waˈter-parting noun

A watershed or divide

water pepper noun

A very acrid persicaria (Polygonum hydropiper) of wet places

water pipe noun

1. A pipe for conveying water
2. A hookah

water pistol noun

A weapon or toy for shooting a jet of water or other liquid

water plane noun

1. A plane passing through any waterline of a ship
2. The plane of the surface of water
3. A canal on the level without locks (historical)
4. A seaplane

water plant noun

A plant that grows in water

water plantain noun

1. A plant (Alisma plantago) having plantain-like leaves and clustered white or pink flowers
2. Any other plant of the Alisma genus

water plate noun

A plate having a double bottom enclosing a space for hot water, used to keep food warm

water poet noun

A writer of doggerel verse (after John Taylor, 1580–1653, a writer of jingling verses, etc, who was for a time a Thames waterman and called himself ‘the Water-poet’)

water polo noun

1. An aquatic ball game played by swimmers, seven a side
2. A similar game played by contestants in canoes

water pore noun (botany)

1. A hydathode, a water-secreting organ
2. A madreporite, a sieve-like calcareous plate in certain echinoderms

water pot noun

A pot or vessel for holding water

water potential noun (botany)

A measure of the free energy of water in a solution, eg in a cell or soil sample, and hence of its tendency to move by diffusion, osmosis or in vapour form

water power noun

1. The power of water, employed to move machinery, etc
2. A flow or fall of water which may be so used

waˈterpox noun (rare)

Varicella, ie chickenpox

water privilege noun

1. The right to the use of water, esp for driving machinery
2. A place where this right may be exercised

waˈterproof adjective

1. Coated eg with rubber or plastic, so as to be impervious to water
2. So constructed as to exclude water

noun

A material or an outer garment made impervious to water

transitive verb and intransitive verb

To make or become impervious to water, esp through the process of coating with a solution

waˈterproofing noun

1. The process of making any substance impervious to water
2. The material with which this is done

water pump noun

1. A pump for raising water
2. The eye (humorous)

water purpie noun

The plant brooklime

waˈterquake noun

A seismic disturbance affecting the sea

water rail noun

The common rail (Rallus aquaticus) of Europe, a long-beaked wading marsh bird

water ram noun

A hydraulic ram

water rat noun

1. The popular name of the water vole
2. The American muskrat
3. A pirate
4. A sailor or boatman

water rate noun

A rate or tax for the supply of water

water reactor noun

A water-cooled nuclear reactor

waˈter-repellˈent adjective

(of a fabric, etc) treated so as not to absorb water

waˈter-resisˈtant adjective

(treated so as to be) resistant to penetration by water

water rice noun see zizania

water rug noun

A kind of water dog, perh from rug¹ (Shakespeare, Macbeth III.1.93)

water sail noun (nautical)

On square rigged ships, a fine-weather sail set below a lower studding-sail, almost touching the water

water sapphire noun

(translating Fr saphir d'eau) an intense blue variety of cordierite used as a gemstone

water scorpion noun

A long-legged water insect of the family Nepidae, which has a long breathing tube at the end of the abdomen and large forelegs for seizing and holding prey

water seal noun

A seal formed by water in a trap

waˈtershed noun

1. The line of high ground separating two river basins
2. A drainage or a catchment area (non-standard)
3. A slope or structure down which water flows
4. A crucial point or dividing line between two phases, conditions, etc
5. The time of the evening after which it is accepted that television programmes considered unsuitable for children may be broadcast, etc

water shoot noun

1. A channel for the overflow of water
2. A water chute

waˈter-shot adjective (rare)

Crossed by streams

waˈterside noun

The edge of a sea, lake, etc, a shore (also adjective)

water sign noun

Any of the three signs of the zodiac (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces) believed to have an affinity with water

waˈter-ski noun

A water-planing ski used in waˈter-skiing, the sport of being towed at speed on a ski or skis behind a motorboat

intransitive verb (waˈter-skiing; waˈter-skied or waˈter-ski'd)

To ride on water-skis

waˈter-skier noun

water slide noun

A slide, often lubricated with flowing water, that ends in a swimming pool

waˈtersmeet noun

The confluence of two streams

water smoke noun

Water evaporating as visible mist

water snail noun (esp US)

A name for the Archimedean screw (qv)

water snake noun

Any of various kinds of snake (esp of genus Natrix) frequenting fresh water

water softener noun

A device or substance for removing the causes of hardness in water

water soldier noun

An aquatic plant (Stratiotes aloides) with sword-like leaves and white flowers reminiscent of plumes of feathers, common in lakes and ditches in the east of England

• zygotic
• zygotic number
• zygotic numbers
• zylonite
• zym-
• zymase
• zymases
• zyme
• zymes
• zymic
• zymite
• zymites
• zymo-
• zymogen
• zymogenic
• zymogens
• zymoid
• zymologic
• zymological
• zymologies
• zymologist
• zymologists
• zymology
• zymolyses
• zymolysis