Primary sense: An inorganic compound (of molecular formula H₂O) found at room temperature and pressure as a clear liquid; it is present naturally as rain, and found in rivers, lakes and seas; its solid form is ice and its gaseous form is steam.
Grammar: water is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
Nearest alternatives: body of water, h2o, acid, adulterate.
Useful contrasts: danish ground, dutch aarde, french terrain.
Usage evidence: I always have to check my yard for stagnant pools of water so mosquitoes don't breed there.
How to use "water"
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Meaning check
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Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "water" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "water" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "water" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
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3. Confirm with context
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Review note:
Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
1
An inorganic compound (of molecular formula H₂O) found at room temperature and pressure as a clear liquid; it is present naturally as rain, and found in rivers, lakes and seas; its solid form is ice and its gaseous form is steam.uncountable
"By the action of electricity, the water was resolved into its two parts, oxygen and hydrogen."
2
a facility that provides a source of waterwordnet
3
An inorganic compound (of molecular formula H₂O) found at room temperature and pressure as a clear liquid; it is present naturally as rain, and found in rivers, lakes and seas; its solid form is ice and its gaseous form is steam.; The liquid form of this substance: liquid H₂O.uncountable
"May I have a glass of water?"
4
a liquid necessary for the life of most animals and plantswordnet
5
An inorganic compound (of molecular formula H₂O) found at room temperature and pressure as a clear liquid; it is present naturally as rain, and found in rivers, lakes and seas; its solid form is ice and its gaseous form is steam.; A serving of liquid water.countable
"Joe bustled back and offered her a glass of wine but she shook her head. “Just a water, please.”"
Show 20 more definitions
6
the part of the earth's surface covered with water (such as a river or lake or ocean)wordnet
7
The aforementioned liquid, considered one of the Classical elements or basic elements of alchemy.countable, uncountable
"He showed me the river of living water, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God."
8
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solventwordnet
9
Water in a body; an area of open water.in-plural, uncountable
"Roſa. O vain peticioner, beg a greater matter,
Thou now requeſts but Mooneſhine in the water."
10
once thought to be one of four elements composing the universe (Empedocles), associated with the humour phlegmwordnet
11
A body of water, almost always a river, sometimes a lake or reservoir, especially in the names given to such bodies.archaic, countable, dialectal, poetic, uncountable
"And as they went on their waye
they cam vnto a certayne water
and the gelded man ſayde: Se here is water
what ſhall lett me to be baptiſed?"
12
liquid excretory productwordnet
13
A combination of water and other substance(s).; Mineral water.countable, sometimes
"Perrier is the most popular water in this restaurant."
14
A combination of water and other substance(s).; Spa water; hot springs.countable, in-plural, often
"Many people visit Bath to take the waters."
15
A combination of water and other substance(s).; A solution in water of a gaseous or readily volatile substance.countable, uncountable
"ammonia water"
16
A combination of water and other substance(s).; A fluid in the body.; Urine.countable, uncountable
"Ser Dunaver's squire Jodge could not hold his water when he slept."
17
A combination of water and other substance(s).; A fluid in the body.; Amniotic fluid or the amniotic sac containing it. (Used only in the plural in the UK but often also in the singular in North America.)countable, uncountable
"Before the child is born, the pregnant woman’s water breaks. (North America)"
18
A combination of water and other substance(s).; A fluid in the body.; A fluid that causes swelling.colloquial, countable, uncountable
"He suffers from water on the knee."
19
The water supply, as a service or utility.attributive, countable, often, uncountable
"The city threatened to cut off our water after we went only a month without paying our bill."
20
A state of affairs; conditions; usually with an adjective indicating an adverse condition.countable, figuratively, in-plural, singular, uncountable
"The rough waters of change will bring about the calm after the storm."
21
A person's intuition.colloquial, countable, figuratively, uncountable
"I know he'll succeed. I feel it in my waters."
22
Excess valuation of securities.dated, uncountable
"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."
23
Something which dilutes, or has the effect of watering down.colloquial, countable, figuratively, uncountable
"Thanks for the great video. No water, 100% substance!"
24
A particular quality or appearance suggestive of water:; The limpidity and lustre of a precious stone, especially a diamond.countable, uncountable
"a diamond of the first water is perfectly pure and transparent"
25
A particular quality or appearance suggestive of water:; A wavy, lustrous pattern or decoration such as is imparted to linen, silk, metals, etc.countable, uncountable
Verb
1
To pour water into the soil surrounding (plants).transitive
"Aunt Em had just come out of the house to water the cabbages when she looked up and saw Dorothy running toward her."
2
secrete or form water, as tears or salivawordnet
3
To wet or supply with water; to moisten; to overflow with water; to irrigate.transitive
"tears watering the ground"
4
supply with water, as with channels or ditches or streamswordnet
5
To provide (animals) with water for drinking.transitive
"I need to water the cattle."
Show 8 more definitions
6
fill with tearswordnet
7
To get or take in water.intransitive
"The ship put into port to water."
8
provide with waterwordnet
9
To urinate onto.colloquial, transitive
"Nature called, so I stepped into the woods and watered a tree."
10
To dilute.transitive
"Can you water the whisky, please?"
11
To overvalue (securities), especially through deceptive accounting.dated, transitive
"such agencies would make it possible for the railroads to water stock and evade the law subjecting security issues to public regulation"
12
To fill with or secrete water or similar liquid.intransitive
"Chopping onions makes my eyes water."
13
To wet and calender, as cloth, so as to impart to it a lustrous appearance in wavy lines; to diversify with wavelike lines.transitive
"to water silk"
Proper Noun
1
A hamlet in Manaton parish, Teignbridge district, Devon, England (OS grid ref SX7580).
2
A hamlet on the B6238 Burnley Road in Rossendale borough, Lancashire, England (OS grid ref SD8425).
3
A barangay of Baco, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines (unconfirmed).
"I always have to check my yard for stagnant pools of water so mosquitoes don't breed there."
Common questions
What does "water" mean?
An inorganic compound (of molecular formula H₂O) found at room temperature and pressure as a clear liquid; it is present naturally as rain, and found in rivers, lakes and seas; its solid form is ice and its gaseous form is steam.
What is a synonym for "water"?
Common synonyms include: body of water, h2o, acid, adulterate, agua, air.
How do you use "water" in a sentence?
I always have to check my yard for stagnant pools of water so mosquitoes don't breed there.
How do you pronounce "water"?
Pronounced /ˈwɔ.təɹ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
* As an English surname, from the medieval pronunciation of the name Walter.
* As an English and German surname, from the noun water.
* As an Irish surname, adopted as a translation from Ó Fuartháin (see Foran), mistaken for Ó Fuaruisce (“son of cold water”), from fuar + uisce.
Etymology 2
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *wed-
Proto-Indo-European *-r̥
Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥
Proto-Germanic *watōr
Proto-West Germanic *watar
Old English wæter
Middle English water
English water
From Middle English water, from Old English wæter (“water”), from Proto-West Germanic *watar, from Proto-Germanic *watōr (“water”), from Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥ (“water”).
Cognates
* Scots watter (“water”)
* Yola wadher, waudher (“water”)
* North Frisian waar, weeder, weeter, woar, woor, wååder, wåår (“water”)
* Saterland Frisian Woater (“water”)
* West Frisian wetter (“water”)
* Cimbrian bassar, bazzar (“water”)
* Dutch water (“water”)
* Dutch Low Saxon water, wotter (“water”)
* German Wasser (“water”)
* German Low German Water, Woter (“water”)
* Gottscheerish boßər, bàsser (“water”)
* Limburgish Waater, water (“water”)
* Luxembourgish Waasser (“water”)
* Mòcheno bòsser (“water”)
* Vilamovian woser (“water”)
* West Flemish woater (“water”)
* Yiddish וואַסער (vaser, “water”)
* Danish vand (“water”)
* Elfdalian wattn (“water”)
* Faroese vatn (“water”)
* Icelandic vatn (“water”)
* Norwegian Nynorsk vatn (“water”)
* Norwegian Bokmål vann (“water”)
* Swedish vatten (“water”)
* Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐍄𐍉 (watō, “water”)
* Old Irish coin fodorne (“otters”, literally “water-dogs”)
* Latin unda (“wave”)
* Lithuanian vanduõ (“water”)
* Russian вода́ (vodá, “water”)
* Albanian ujë (“water”)
* Ancient Greek ὕδωρ (húdōr, “water”)
* Armenian գետ (get, “river”)
* Sanskrit उदन् (udán, “wave, water”)
* Hittite 𒉿𒀀𒋻 (wa-a-tar, “water”)
Etymology 3
From Middle English wateren, from Old English wæterian, from Proto-Germanic *watrōną, *watrijaną, from Proto-Germanic *watōr (“water”), from Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥ (“water”).
Cognates
Cognate with Scots watter (“water”), Saterland Frisian woaterje (“to water”), West Frisian wetterje (“to water”), Dutch wateren (“to water”), German Low German watern (“to water”), German wässern (“to water”), Danish vande (“to water”), Swedish vattna (“to water”), Icelandic vatna (“to water”).