water

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See also wáter, wàter, and wāter

Contents

English[edit]

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Etymology[edit]

From Middle English water, from Old English wæter (“water”), from Proto-Germanic *watōr (“water”), from Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥ (“water”).

cognates

Cognate with Scots wattir, watir (“water”), North Frisian weeter (“water”), Eastern Frisian woater (“water”), West Frisian wetter (“water”), Dutch water (“water”), Low German water (“water”), German Wasser, Swedish vatten (“water”), Icelandic vatn (“water”), Old Irish coin fodorne (“otters”, literally “water-dogs”), Latin unda (“wave”), Lithuanian vanduõ (“water”), Russian вода (voda, “water”), Albanian ujë (“water”), Ancient Greek ὕδωρ (hýdōr, “water”), Armenian գետ (get, “river”), Sanskrit उदन् (udán, “wave, water”), Hittite 𒉿𒀀𒋫𒅈 (wātar, “water”).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

water (1,2)

water (countable and uncountable; plural waters)

  1. (uncountable)   A chemical, found at room temperature and pressure as a clear liquid, having the formula H₂O, required by all forms of life on Earth.
    May I have a glass of water?
    Your plants need more water.
    By the action of electricity, the water was resolved into its two parts, oxygen and hydrogen.
  2. (uncountable, in particular)   The liquid form of this chemical; liquid H₂O.
    • 2002, Arthur T. Hubbard, Encyclopedia of Surface and Colloid Science (ISBN 0824707966), page 4895:
      A water drop placed on the surface of ice can either spread or form a lens depending on the properties of the three phases involved in wetting, i.e., on the properties of the ice, water, and gas phases.
    • 2013 May 11, “The climate of Tibet: Pole-land”, The Economist, volume 407, number 8835, page 80: 
      Of all the transitions brought about on the Earth’s surface by temperature change, the melting of ice into water is the starkest. It is binary. And for the land beneath, the air above and the life around, it changes everything.
  3. (sometimes countable)   Mineral water.
    Perrier is the most popular water in this restaurant.
  4. (countable, often in the plural)   Spa water.
    Many people visit Bath to take the waters.
  5. (alchemy)   One of the four basic elements.
    He showed me the river of living water, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God.
  6. (religion, philosophy)   One of the five basic elements (see Wikipedia article on the Classical elements).
  7. (often in the plural)   Any body of water, or a specific part of it.
    The boat was found in within the territorial waters.
    These seals are a common sight on the coastal waters of Chile.
    We had a great view of the waters of this place.
    • 1526, William Tyndale (tr.), Bible, Acts VIII:
      And as they went on their waye, they cam unto a certayne water, and the gelded man sayde: Se here is water, what shall lett me to be baptised?
  8. Urine. [from 15th c.]
    • 1999, George RR Martin, A Clash of Kings, Bantam, published 2011, page 458:
      Ser Dunaver's squire Jodge could not hold his water when he slept.
  9. Amniotic fluid; used in the plural in the UK and in singular in North America.
    Before the child is born, the pregnant woman’s waters break. (UK)
    Before the child is born, the pregnant woman’s water breaks. (North America)
  10. (figuratively, in the plural or in the singular)   A state of affairs; conditions; usually with an adjective indicating an adverse condition.
    The rough waters of change will bring about the calm after the storm.
  11. (countable)   A serving of water.
    • 2006, Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy, Amy Garvey, Bad Boys of Summer, ISBN 0758209347, page 91:
      Joe bustled back and offered her a glass of wine but she shook her head. “Just a water, please.”
  12. (colloquial, figuratively)   A person's intuition.
    I know he'll succeed. I feel it in my waters.
  13. (colloquial, medicine)   Fluids in the body, especially when causing swelling.
    He suffers from water on the knee.
  14. (uncountable, dated, finance)   Excess valuation of securities.
    • 1902 August 2, “Too Much Water to Suit Cummins”, The Atlanta Constitution:
      Iowa Governor Will Fight Rock Island Reorganization. He Says That Under the New Plan Too Much Water Is Put Into the Stock--Believes Plan Is Out of Harmony with Iowa Laws.
    • 1920 April 11, “Says Stock 'Water' Didn't Affect Fare”, New York Times:
      the outstanding stock and bond obligations of the company were reduced from $34,000,000 to $24,000,000 by squeezing out the water.

Quotations[edit]

Synonyms[edit]

Antonyms[edit]

Hypernyms[edit]

Hyponyms[edit]

Meronyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Terms derived from the noun water

Translations[edit]

clear liquid H₂O
mineral water — see mineral water
spa water
one of the four elements in alchemy
one of the five basic elements in some other theories
body of water, or specific part of it
urine
amniotic fluid — see amniotic fluid
figuratively: state of affairs; conditions
serving of water
intuition
medical: fluids in the body, especially when causing swelling
finance: excess valuation of securities

Descendants[edit]

Verb[edit]

water (third-person singular simple present waters, present participle watering, simple past and past participle watered)

to water (1)
  1. (transitive) To pour water into the soil surrounding (plants).
    • 1900, L. Frank Baum, chapter 24, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz:
      Aunt Em had just come out of the house to water the cabbages when she looked up and saw Dorothy running toward her.
  2. (transitive) To provide (animals) with water.
    I need to go water the cattle.
  3. (transitive, colloquial) To urinate.
  4. (transitive) To dilute.
    Can you water the whisky, please?
  5. (transitive, dated, finance) To overvalue (securities), especially through deceptive accounting.
    • 1930 April 10, “Calls Rail Holding Companies Threat”, The Sun:
      such agencies would make it possible for the railroads to water stock and evade the law subjecting security issues to public regulation
  6. (intransitive) To fill with or secrete water.
    Chopping onions makes my eyes water.
    The smell of fried onions makes my mouth water.

Synonyms[edit]

Antonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Terms derived from the verb water

Translations[edit]

to pour water into the soil surrounding (plants)
to provide (animals) with water
colloquial: to urinate
dilute
to fill with or secrete water
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

Statistics[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

References[edit]

Afrikaans[edit]

Afrikaans Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia af

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Germanic *watōr, from Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

water (plural waters)

  1. water
  2. Artificial fluid similar to water.
  3. (colloquial) Urine.
  4. Any body of water, such as a river or a lake.
  5. A disease where water is accumulated
  6. (in the plural) large quantity of water, inundation.

Verb[edit]

water (past participle gewater)

  1. to urinate
  2. to secrete liquid

Derived terms[edit]

Dutch[edit]

Dutch Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia nl

Etymology[edit]

From Middle Dutch, from Old Dutch watar, water, from Proto-Germanic *watōr, from Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥. Compare English water, Saterland Frisian Woater, German Wasser, Swedish vatten.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

water n (plural waters or wateren, diminutive watertje)

  1. water (H2O)
    Het water kookte.
    The water boiled.
  2. body of water (such as a lake, ditch or stream)
  3. bodily fluid (especially amniotic fluid)

Derived terms[edit]

Terms derived from water

Verb[edit]

water

  1. first-person singular present indicative of wateren
  2. imperative of wateren

Anagrams[edit]

Dutch Low Saxon[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Saxon watar, from Proto-Germanic *watōr, from Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥.

Noun[edit]

water

  1. (Drents, Twents) water

Italian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Shortened form of English water closet (W.C.)

Noun[edit]

water m (invariable)

  1. (colloquial) water closet, toilet, rest room

Limburgish[edit]

Limburgish Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia li

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Germanic *watōr, from Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥.

Noun[edit]

water n

  1. water
  2. body of water

Inflection[edit]

Inflection
Root singular Root plural Diminutive singular Diminutive plural
Nominative water watere waeterke waeterkes
Genitive waters watere waeterkes waeterkes
Locative wateves watevese waeterke waeterkes
Dative¹ watevem  ?  ?  ?
Accusative¹ water watere  ?  ?
  • Dative and accusative are nowadays obsolete, use nominative instead.
  • Plural and diminutive only used for the meaning body of water.

Derived terms[edit]

Middle Dutch[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Dutch watar, from Proto-Germanic *watōr, from Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA: /ˈwaːtər/

Noun[edit]

water n

  1. water

Descendants[edit]

Middle English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old English wæter, from Proto-Germanic *watōr, from Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥.

Noun[edit]

water (plural waters)

  1. water (liquid H2O)
    • c. 1190, Layamon, Brut, edition MS. Cotton Caligula A ix:
      al ſwa great ſwa a beam: / þe he leide in ane walle ſtream. / Þe ilke makeð þat water hot: / & þan folc halwende.

Quotations[edit]

Descendants[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Middle Low German[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Saxon watar, from Proto-Germanic *watōr, from Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥.

Noun[edit]

water

  1. water
    • 1537, Jürgen Richolff der Jüngere, Datt högeste unde öldeste water recht, xxviii:
      Eyn schip effte twe effte meer liggen in einer hauen dar kleyn water is / vnde plecht dröge tho synde / also dat dat eyne schip hart by dem andern tho liggende kumpt […]

Descendants[edit]

  • German Low German: Water

Occitan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Shortened form of English water closet (W.C.)

Noun[edit]

water m

  1. (colloquial) water closet, toilet, rest room
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