Is waters a real word

English[edit]

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Wikiversity

Pronunciation[edit]

• (United Kingdom)
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈwɔːtə/
  • (England, Estuary English) IPA^(key): [ˈwoːʔɐ], [ˈwoːʔə]
  • (England, Cockney) IPA^(key): [ˈwoʊʔə], [ˈwɔoɾɐ]
  • (Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˈwɔtər/, [ˈwɔtər]
  • (dialectal) IPA^(key): /ˈwɒtə/, /ˈwɒtəɹ/
• (North America)
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈwɔtəɹ/, [ˈwɔɾɚ], enPR: wôtər
  • (US, cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈwɑtəɹ/, [ˈwɑɾɚ], enPR: wŏtər
  • (NYC) IPA^(key): [ˈwɔəɾə]
  • (Philadelphia) IPA^(key): /ˈwʊtəɹ/, [ˈwʊɾɚ]
  • (Western Pennsylvania) IPA^(key): /ˈwɔɹtəɹ/, [ˈwɔɹɾɚ]
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈwoːtə/, [ˈwoːɾə]
• (Ireland) IPA^(key): /ˈwɔːtəɹ/, [ˈwɒːθ̠ɚ]
• (Indian English) IPA^(key): [ˈwɔʈə(r)], [ˈʋɔʈə(r)]
  • (Tamil English) IPA^(key): [ˈʋaːʈər(ɯ)], [ˈwaːʈər(ɯ)]
• (General South African) IPA^(key): [ˈwoːtə]
• (Northern English, dated, obsolete elsewhere) IPA^(key): /ˈwætəɹ/, [ˈwætə], [ˈwæɾɚ]
• Hyphenation: wa‧ter
• Rhymes: -ɔːtə(ɹ), -ɒtə(ɹ)

Etymology 1[edit]

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”).

Noun[edit]

water (countable and uncountable, plural waters)

2. (uncountable) A substance (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.

   By the action of electricity, the water was resolved into its two parts, oxygen and hydrogen.

   • 2013 September-October, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist:

     Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis: the ability to convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and waste oxygen using solar energy.

   1. (uncountable, in particular) The liquid form of this substance: liquid H₂O.

      May I have a glass of water?

      Your plants need more water.

      • 1835, Sir John Ross, Sir James Clark Ross, Narrative of a Second Voyage in Search of a North-west Passage …, Volume 1, pp.284-5

        Towards the following morning, the thermometer fell to 5°; and at daylight, there was not an atom of water to be seen in any direction.

      • 2002, Arthur T. Hubbard, Encyclopedia of Surface and Colloid Science, →ISBN, 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”, in 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.

      • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:water.
   2. (countable) A serving of liquid water.

      • 2006, Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy, Amy Garvey, Bad Boys of Summer, →ISBN, page 91:

        Joe bustled back and offered her a glass of wine but she shook her head. “Just a water, please.”

3. (alchemy, philosophy) The aforementioned liquid, considered one of the Classical elements or basic elements of alchemy.

   He showed me the river of living water, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God.

4. (uncountable or in the plural) Water in a body; an area of open water.

   • c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 138, column 2:

     Roſa. O vain peticioner, beg a greater matter,
     Thou now requeſts but Mooneſhine in the water.

   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 1, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients:

     ‘Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed.

   • 2019, VOA Learning English (public domain)

     The president expressed hope that creating rain over waters between the countries would help reduce pollution.

   And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

   The boat was found within the territorial waters.

   These seals are a common sight in the coastal waters of Chile.

5. (poetic, archaic or dialectal) A body of water, almost always a river.
   • 1842, Alfred Tennyson, “Morte d’Arthur”, in Poems. […], volume II, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 4:

     On one side lay the Ocean, and on one
     Lay a great water, and the moon was full.

   • 1865, William Allingham (ed.), The Ballad Book: a selection of the choicest British ballads, William and May Margaret, or the Water of Clyde:

     But ere he came to Clyde’s water, fu’ loud the wind did blaw.

6. A combination of water and other substance(s).
   1. (sometimes countable) Mineral water.

      Perrier is the most popular water in this restaurant.

   2. (countable, often in the plural) Spa water.

      Many people visit Bath to take the waters.

   3. (pharmacy) A solution in water of a gaseous or readily volatile substance.

      ammonia water

   4. Urine. [from 15th c.]

      • 1999, George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings, Bantam, published 2011, page 458:

        Ser Dunaver’s squire Jodge could not hold his water when he slept.

   6. 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.)

      Synonym: bag of waters

      Before the child is born, the pregnant woman’s water breaks. (North America)

      Before your child is born, your water(s) will break. (North America)

      Before the child is born, the pregnant woman’s waters break. (UK)

   7. (colloquial, medicine) Fluids in the body, especially when causing swelling.

      He suffers from water on the knee.

7. (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.

8. (colloquial, figuratively) A person’s intuition.

   Synonym: bones

   I know he’ll succeed. I feel it in my waters.

9. (uncountable, dated, finance) Excess valuation of securities.

   • 1902 August 2, “Too Much Water to Suit Cummins”, in 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”, in 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.

10. The limpidity and lustre of a precious stone, especially a diamond.

    a diamond of the first water is perfectly pure and transparent
11. A wavy, lustrous pattern or decoration such as is imparted to linen, silk, metals, etc.

Alternative forms[edit]

• wahter, wahtuh (eye dialect)

Synonyms[edit]

• See also Thesaurus:water
• See also Thesaurus:urine

Antonyms[edit]

• (liquid H₂O): ice, steam, water vapor/water vapour
• (basic elements): earth, air/wind, fire; wood, metal; void/ether

Hypernyms[edit]

• (chemical having the formula H₂O): chemical, substance
• (liquid H₂O): liquid, fluid
• (basic elements): element
• (urine): body fluid, bodily fluid, biofluid

Hyponyms[edit]

• (chemical having the formula H₂O): heavy water; ice, steam, water vapor/water vapour
• (liquid H₂O): drinkwater, freshwater, meltwater, mineral water; hard water, soft water

Meronyms[edit]

• (chemical having the formula H₂O): hydrogen, oxygen

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

Translations[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

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

Verb[edit]

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

1. (transitive) To pour water into the soil surrounding (plants).

   • 1900, L. Frank Baum, chapter 24, in 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 wet or supply with water; to moisten; to overflow with water; to irrigate.
   • Men whose lives glided on like rivers that water the woodlands.

4. (transitive) To provide (animals) with water for drinking.

   I need to water the cattle.

5. (intransitive) To get or take in water.

   The ship put into port to water.

   • 1944 January and February, W. McGowan Gradon, “Forres as a Railway Centre”, in Railway Magazine, page 23:

     After working the 1.30 p.m. through train from Forres to Aberdeen as far as Elgin, she returns tender first with a local passenger train and is then coaled and watered at Forres shed, and eventually works back to Perth on the 10.20 p.m. through freight.

6. (transitive, colloquial) To urinate onto.

   Nature called, so I stepped into the woods and watered a tree.

7. (transitive) To dilute.

   Can you water the whisky, please?

8. (transitive, dated, finance) To overvalue (securities), especially through deceptive accounting.

   • 1930 April 10, “Calls Rail Holding Companies Threat”, in The Sun:

     such agencies would make it possible for the railroads to water stock and evade the law subjecting security issues to public regulation

9. (intransitive) To fill with or secrete water.

   Chopping onions makes my eyes water.

   The smell of fried onions makes my mouth water.

10. (transitive) To wet and calender, as cloth, so as to impart to it a lustrous appearance in wavy lines; to diversify with wavelike lines.

    to water silk

Synonyms[edit]

• (urinate): (see the list of synonyms in the entry «urinate»)
• (dilute): water down

Antonyms[edit]

• (dilute): refine

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• “water”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• water in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Anagrams[edit]

• Ewart, tawer

Afrikaans[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Dutch water, from Middle Dutch wāter, from Old Dutch watar, from Proto-West Germanic *watar, from Proto-Germanic *watōr, from Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈvɑːtər/

Noun[edit]

water (plural waters)

1. water
2. any 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; hydrops
6. (in the plural) a large quantity of water; inundation

Verb[edit]

water (present water, present participle waterende, past participle gewater)

1. to urinate
2. to secrete liquid

Derived terms[edit]

• waterlemoen
• ontwater

References[edit]

• Jan Kromhout, Afrikaans-English, English-Afrikaans Dictionary (2001)

Dutch[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈʋaːtər/, (Belgium) [β̞aːtər], (Netherlands) [ʋaːtər]

• audio (Belgium, the first one)

  (file)

• audio (Netherlands)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aːtər
• Hyphenation: wa‧ter

Etymology 1[edit]

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

Noun[edit]

water n (plural waters or wateren, diminutive watertje n)

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]

Descendants[edit]

• Afrikaans: water
• Javindo: water
• Negerhollands: watu, water, water, waeter
• Petjo: watter
• Skepi Creole Dutch: water
• →? Sranan Tongo: watra
  • → Aukan: wataa
  • → Saramaccan: wáta

Etymology 2[edit]

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb[edit]

water

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

Further reading[edit]

• “water” in Van Dale Onlinewoordenboek, Van Dale Lexicografie, 2007.

Anagrams[edit]

• tarwe

Dutch Low Saxon[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• wotter, woater, waoter

Etymology[edit]

From Old Saxon watar.

Noun[edit]

water

1. (Drents, Twents) water

See also[edit]

• Water

French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Ellipsis of water-closet, borrowed from English water closet.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /wa.tɛʁ/

Noun[edit]

water m (plural waters)

1. toilet, bathroom
2. Ellipsis of water-closet.

Synonyms[edit]

• toilettes
• toilette (Belgium)
• waters
• WC

Derived terms[edit]

• waters

Further reading[edit]

• “water”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Italian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Pseudo-anglicism, a clipping of English water closet.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈva.ter/^[1]
• Rhymes: -ater

Noun[edit]

water m (invariable)

1. toilet bowl
2. (colloquial) water closet, toilet

References[edit]

Limburgish[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• Waater (Eupen, Krefeld)

Etymology[edit]

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

Noun[edit]

water n

1. water
2. body of water

Conjugation[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]

• móndjwater

References[edit]

• Stefaan Top, Limburgs sagenboek (2004), page 45

Middle Dutch[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Dutch watar.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈwaːtər/

Noun[edit]

wāter n

1. water

Inflection[edit]

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants[edit]

• Dutch: water
  • Afrikaans: water
  • Javindo: water
  • Negerhollands: watu, water, water, waeter
  • Petjo: watter
  • Skepi Creole Dutch: water
  • →? Sranan Tongo: watra
    • → Aukan: wataa
    • → Saramaccan: wáta
• Limburgish: water
• West Flemish: woater

Further reading[edit]

• “water”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929), “water”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

Middle English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• watere, watir, waterre

Etymology[edit]

From Old English wæter, from Proto-West Germanic *watar, from Proto-Germanic *watōr.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈwatər/, /ˈwaːtər/

Noun[edit]

water (plural wateres)

1. water (liquid H₂O)

   • c. 1190, Layamon, Brut, MS. Cotton Caligula A ix edition:

     al ſwa great ſwa a beam:
     þe he leide in ane walle ſtream.
     Þe ilke makeð þat water hot:
     & þan folc halwende.

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

2. water vapour, condensation
3. lake, pond, ocean, canal, body of water
4. water source, spring, well, fount
5. solution, liquid mixture

Quotations[edit]

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:water.

Derived terms[edit]

• waterlees

Descendants[edit]

• English: water (see there for further descendants)
• Scots: watter
• Yola: waudher, wadher

References[edit]

• “wā̆ter, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-03-20.

Middle Low German[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Saxon watar.

Pronunciation[edit]

• (originally) IPA^(key): /ˈwaːtər/

Noun[edit]

wāter n

1. water

   • 1537, Jürgen Richolff the Younger, 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 […]

     A ship or two or more lie in a port with little water, which tends to be dry, so that one the ship comes to lie close by the other […]

Declension[edit]

Descendants[edit]

• German Low German: Water

Occitan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Shortened form of English water closet.

Noun[edit]

water m

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

See Also: waterlogged Waterloo waterman watermanship watermark watermeal watermelon waterpick waterproof waterproofing Waters watersaver waterscape waterscorpion watershed waterside watersider watersport waterspout watertight Waterton Lakes National Park Recent searches: View All

Go to Preferences page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks. WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023 Wa•ters  (wô′tərz, wot′ərz),USA pronunciation n. Biographical Ethel, 1896–1977, U.S. singer and actress. Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: Waters /ˈwɔːtəz/ n Muddy, real name McKinley Morganfield. 1915–83, US blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. His songs include «Rollin’ Stone» (1948) and «Got my Mojo Working» (1954) WordReference Random House Learner’s Dictionary of American English © 2023 wa•ter /ˈwɔtɚ, ˈwɑtɚ/USA pronunciation   n.  Chemistry an odorless, tasteless liquid compound of hydrogen and oxygen that makes up rain, oceans, lakes, and rivers:[uncountable]Water is essential to life. Often, waters. [plural] water obtained from a mineral spring. Geographya body of water, such as an ocean: [uncountable]sailing on the water.[countable* usually plural]the waters of the Atlantic. waters, [plural] the sea bordering on and controlled by a country. v. to sprinkle or drench with water:[~ + object]to water the plants. to fill with or give off water or liquid:[no object]Her eyes watered. [~ + object] to supply (animals) with drinking water. to weaken or dilute with or as if with water:[~ (+ down) + object]watered down her criticism. Idioms Idioms hold water, to be capable of being defended or proven correct:Your theory doesn’t hold water. in deep or hot water, in trouble or difficulty. Idioms keep one’s head above water, to stay out of esp. financial difficulties. Idioms like water, freely; abundantly:She spent money like water. Idioms make one’s mouth water, to cause a desire or appetite for something:a sports car that can make your mouth water. WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023 wa•ter  (wô′tər, wot′ər),USA pronunciation n.  Chemistrya transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid, a compound of hydrogen and oxygen, H2O, freezing at 32°F or 0°C and boiling at 212°F or 100°C, that in a more or less impure state constitutes rain, oceans, lakes, rivers, etc.: it contains 11.188 percent hydrogen and 88.812 percent oxygen, by weight. a special form or variety of this liquid, as rain. Often, waters. this liquid in an impure state as obtained from a mineral spring:Last year we went to Marienbad for the waters. Geographythe liquid content of a river, inlet, etc., with reference to its relative height, esp. as dependent on tide:a difference of 20 feet between high and low water. the surface of a stream, river, lake, ocean, etc.:above, below, or on the water. waters: flowing water, or water moving in waves:The river’s mighty waters. the sea or seas bordering a particular country or continent or located in a particular part of the world:We left San Diego and sailed south for Mexican waters. a liquid solution or preparation, esp. one used for cosmetic purposes:lavender water; lemon water. Often, waters. [Med.] amniotic fluid. the bag of waters; amnion:Her water broke at 2 a.m. Chemistryany of various solutions of volatile or gaseous substances in water:ammonia water. any liquid or aqueous organic secretion, exudation, humor, or the like, as tears, perspiration, or urine. Business[Finance.]fictitious assets or the inflated values they give to the stock of a corporation. a wavy, lustrous pattern or marking, as on silk fabrics or metal surfaces. Jewelry(formerly) the degree of transparency and brilliancy of a diamond or other precious stone. above water, out of embarrassment or trouble, esp. of a financial nature:They had so many medical bills that they could hardly keep their heads above water. break water: to break the surface of the water by emerging from it. Sport[Swimming.]to break the surface of the water with the feet, esp. in swimming the breaststroke doing the frog kick. Medicineto break the amniotic sac prior to parturition. by water, by ship or boat:to send goods by water. hold water: to be logical, defensible, or valid:That accusation won’t hold water. to check the movement of a rowboat by keeping the oars steady with the blades vertical. Nautical dead in the water. See dead (def. 36). in deep water, in great distress or difficulty:Their marriage has been in deep water for some time. in hot water. See hot water.  like water, lavishly; abundantly; freely:The champagne flowed like water. make water: Nautical(of a boat) to allow water to enter; leak. to urinate. Nautical take water, (of a boat) to allow water to enter through leaks or portholes or over the side. tread water. See tread (def. 12). v.t. to sprinkle, moisten, or drench with water:to water the flowers; to water a street. to supply (animals) with water for drinking. to furnish with a supply of water, as a ship. Geographyto furnish water to (a region), as by streams; supply (land) with water, as by irrigation:The valley is watered by a branch of the Colorado River. Our land is watered by the All-American Canal. to dilute, weaken, soften, or adulterate with, or as with, water (often fol. by down):to water soup; to water down an unfavorable report. Business[Finance.]to issue or increase the par value of (shares of stock) without having the assets to warrant doing so (often fol. by down). to produce a wavy, lustrous pattern, marking, or finish on (fabrics, metals, etc.):watered silk. v.i. to discharge, fill with, or secrete water or liquid, as the eyes when irritated, or as the mouth at the sight or thought of tempting food. to drink water, as an animal. Nauticalto take in a supply of water, as a ship:Our ship will water at Savannah. make one’s mouth water, to excite a desire or appetite for something:The roasting turkey made our mouths water. adj. of or pertaining to water in any way:a water journey. holding, or designed to hold, water:a water jug. worked or powered by water:a water turbine. heating, pumping, or circulating water (often used in combination):hot-water furnace; city waterworks. used in or on water:water skis. containing or prepared with water, as for hardening or dilution:water mortar. located or occurring on, in, or by water:water music; water frontage. residing by or in, or ruling over, water:water people; water deities. bef. 900; (noun, nominal) Middle English; Old English wæter; cognate with Dutch water, German Wasser; akin to Old Norse vain, Gothic wato, Hittite watar, Greek hýdōr; (verb, verbal) Middle English wateren, Old English wæterian, derivative of the noun, nominal wa′ter•er, n.  wa′ter•less, adj.  wa′ter•less•ly, adv.  wa′ter•less•ness, n.  wa′ter•like′, adj.  Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: water /ˈwɔːtə/ n a clear colourless tasteless odourless liquid that is essential for plant and animal life and constitutes, in impure form, rain, oceans, rivers, lakes, etc. It is a neutral substance, an effective solvent for many compounds, and is used as a standard for many physical properties. Formula: H2O Related adjective(s): aqueous any body or area of this liquid, such as a sea, lake, river, etc (as modifier): water sports, water transport, a water plant Related adjective(s): aquatic the surface of such a body or area: fish swam below the water any form or variety of this liquid, such as rain See high water, low water any of various solutions of chemical substances in water: lithia water, ammonia water any fluid secreted from the body, such as sweat, urine, or tears (usually plural) the amniotic fluid surrounding a fetus in the womb a wavy lustrous finish on some fabrics, esp silk archaic the degree of brilliance in a diamond See also first water excellence, quality, or degree (in the phrase of the first water) capital stock issued without a corresponding increase in paid-up capital, so that the book value of the company’s capital is not fully represented by assets or earning power (modifier) of or relating to the three signs of the zodiac Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces hold water ⇒ to prove credible, logical, or consistent: the alibi did not hold water make water ⇒ to urinate (of a boat, hull, etc) to let in water pass water ⇒ to urinate water under the bridge ⇒ events that are past and done with vb (transitive) to sprinkle, moisten, or soak with water (transitive) often followed by down: to weaken by the addition of water (intransitive) (of the eyes) to fill with tears (intransitive) (of the mouth) to salivate, esp in anticipation of food (esp in the phrase make one’s mouth water) (transitive) to irrigate or provide with water: to water the land, he watered the cattle (intransitive) to drink water (intransitive) (of a ship, etc) to take in a supply of water (transitive) to raise the par value of (issued capital stock) without a corresponding increase in the real value of assets (transitive) to produce a wavy lustrous finish on (fabrics, esp silk) See also water downEtymology: Old English wæter, of Germanic origin; compare Old Saxon watar, Old High German wazzar, Gothic watō, Old Slavonic voda; related to Greek hudor ˈwaterer n ˈwaterless adj ‘Waters‘ also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

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Asked by: Erika Bayer Sr.

Score: 4.3/5
(14 votes)

a natural stream of water of fairly large size flowing in a definite course or channel or series of diverging and converging channels. a similar stream of something other than water: a river of lava; a river of ice.

Is river is a naming word?

We use the before the names of rivers. … If we use the word river, we usually write it without a capital letter: the river Thames, the river Severn, the Yangtze river. We don’t always use the word river, especially when it is obvious that we are talking about a river: the Mississippi, the Nile, the Ganges, the Loire.

Is river one word or two?

up·riv·er. adv. & adj. Toward or near the source of a river; in the direction opposite to that of the current: rowing upriver; upriver rapids.

Is river water one word?

noun. 1Water in or from a river. 2In plural. Waterways.

How do you say river in Old English?

The Old English word was ea «river,» cognate with Gothic ahwa, Latin aqua (see aqua-).

27 related questions found

The last item on Bengtson & Ruhlen’s list of “global etymologies” is ʔAQ’WA ‘water’. What can hardly escape anybody’s attention is its uncanny similarity to one of those Latin words which are the common currency of our civilisation: aqua, as in aquarium, aqueduct, or BonAqua. One knows such words even without the benefit of a good classical education. Is it possible that an ancient “global” word survived virtually unchanged in Latin? 

To be sure, Bengtson and Ruhlen don’t actually reconstruct their global proto-words. They claim that the glosses offered in the article “are intended merely to characterize the most general meaning and phonological shape of each root”. Nevertheless, the “phonological shape” looks pretty specific, complete with such fancy details as an initial glottal stop, and a medial uvular ejective. Are those segments there because there is some solid evidence for them, or are they simply ornamental? Never mind. We shall look at the global data next time. Today let’s only examine the putative Indo-European reflex of ʔAQ’WA. We have already seen how the comparative method works, so let’s apply it again. 

Bengtson & Ruhlen cite the following forms to support the PIE reconstruction *akʷā-: 

At first blush, the evidence looks impressive. The word (or at least its root) occurs in four branches of IE, including Anatolian and Tocharian. That should be enough to guarantee that we are dealing with a PIE lexical item. To be sure, the meaning ‘water’ occurs only in Latin; the Germanic cognate means ‘river’, and Anatolian and Tocharian only have a verb meaning ‘drink’. If the noun and the verb were related, it would be interesting to analyse the relationship and make sure that the meaning ‘water’ is indeed old and not derived within IE. That will not be necessary, however, because the words are not related in the first place. 

Hitt 3sg. ekuzi ~ eukzi, 3pl. akuanzi  ‘drink’ (+ Palaic ahu- and Cuneiform Luwian u-) may only reflect a root with a voiced consonant (a voiceless one would have become -kk-, not -k-, in Hittite). We can connect them via regular sound correspondences with Latin ēbrius ‘drunk’ and Greek nḗpʰō ‘be sober’ (= ‘not-drink’, with the IE negative particle *n(e)-). The Anatolian verb forms might go back to a plain root present *h₁égʷʰ-ti, *h₁gʷʰ-énti, but Tocharian AB yok- and the Latin adjective require a long vowel; the jury is still out on whether we should posit a PIE lengthened-grade root *h₁ēgʷʰ- or a reduplicated stem, *h₁é-h₁gʷʰ- (or even something still more complex). A couple of things seem clear, though. The root-final consonant is *gʷʰ, not *kʷ, and the initial laryngeal is *h₁ (the one that doesn’t colour an adjacent short vowel). This is enough to exclude any connection with aqua or its Germanic cognates. One might add that apart from *h₁egʷʰ- we also find the widespread perfective verb *poh₃(i)- ‘drink’ (also in Anatolian, with the meaning ‘swallow, gulp down’). As reflexes of *h₁egʷʰ- clearly refer to drunkennes at least in Latin and Greek, perhaps its original meaning was ‘get drunk’ (on something more intoxicating than water) rather than simply ‘drink’. 

Not real water [link]

We are left with Latin aqua ‘water’ and Germanic *axʷō ‘river’ (a perfect formal match combined with a difference in meaning). Possible traces of a Celtic word reconstructible as *akʷā are few and hardly substantial: they include several European river-names ending in -apa (which might or might not be a Gaulish cognate of aqua, not confirmed by any Gaulish text), and a single occurrence of —akua as part of a longer sequence in an unclear Celtiberian inscription, where the context doesn’t rule out the meaning ‘river’ (but neither does it demand such an interpretation). By contrast, Germanic *axʷō is abundantly attested (Goth. aƕa, Old High German and Old Saxon aha, Old Frisian ā ~ ē, Old English ēa, Old Norse á). All the reflexes mean ‘running water, stream, river’, which shows that PGmc. *axʷō was roughly synonymous with PIE *h₂ap-h₃on- and possibly replaced the latter term in the prehistory of Germanic. The word-family represented by English water, German Wasser and Gothic wato was not affected. In Latin, on the other hand, aqua completely ousted *wodr̥ ~ *udōr/*udn-, etc., and became the ordinary word for ‘water’ (including “tame” water for drinking or washing). 

Germanic also displays some interesting derivatives, such as *aujō ‘island; meadow-land’ from earlier *aɣʷjō < pre-Germanic *akʷjā́ (ON ey, OE īġ ~ īeġ). This word formed the first member of the OE compound īġ-lond > ModE island (which owes its mute s to false association with Old French isle, an unrelated but acidentally similar word derived from Latin īnsula). The compound, by the way, outcompeted the free-standing word: in Middle English the element ei ~ i ~ ie was common in placenames, but no longer in isolation. As regards its further derivatives, we have OE īġoþ ‘islet, small island’ (hence modern ait ~ eyot, used mostly with reference to the topography of the Thames). Finally, Germanic *ēɣ⁽ʷ⁾ijaz (cf. the ON ocean-giant Ægir, OE ǣġ(e) ‘island, sea, sea-coast’) may be related provided that the word is old enough to reflect some characteristic “special effects” of laryngeal colouring: Lat. a- and Gmc. *a- would together point to an initial *h₂a-, but *ē-, if cognate, would imply an old lengthened grade *h₂ē-, immune to the a-colouring effect of *h₂. All this is highly speculative, especially in the absence of any uncontroversial cognates of aqua outside Latin and Germanic. The IE reconstruction *h₂ákʷah₂ is often encountered in the linguistic literature. While not impossible, it is hardly warranted by the comparative evidence. Moreover, even if the word is genuinely old within IE, neither Latin nor Germanic can tell us if we should reconstruct an intervocalic *-kʷ- or *-ḱw-. If the latter, one might attempt to connect the ‘river/water’ word with the IE adjective meaning ‘swift, fast’ (traditionally reconstructed as *ōḱú-, with an initial *ō which conceals some puzzling combination of PIE vowels and laryngeals, not yet unravelled to everyone’s satisfaction). In that case, however, we must posit an evolutionary chain like ‘swift’ → ‘rapid current’→ ’river’ → ’water’ to account for the semantics. If there’s any truth in this suggestion, the meaning ‘water’ is highly derived, and there was originally nothing aquatic about the PIE root that produced the Latin and Germanic terms. 

The countable form used in the example, «waters» is poetic in use, and means «streams, rivers, lakes» collectively. Singular use in this sense is very rare, and archaic:

And as they went on their waye, they cam unto a certayne water (from an old translation of the Bible, in modern translations it is «river».)

In modern English this sense is only used poetically and only in the plural.

The plural can also be used for «regions of the sea» The territorial waters of the UK or «spa water» take the waters at Tunbridge Wells. In these senses it is always plural.

As a singular, it means «a serving of drinking water» *I’ll have a water and a beer, please. But even in this sense, it is rather rare. «A glass of water» or similar would more common.

In nearly all other use, water is uncountable. Except in the rare cases described above, you don’t use the plural «waters» or the countable singular «a water».

The word is unlike «fish» because «fish» is an acceptable plural of «fish». The only acceptable plural of «water» is «waters». The word «water» is singular, never plural.

The expression «a little water» is not a use of a countable noun «a water», it is the compound determiner «a little», which modifies the uncountable noun «water». Consider that you can’t say «two little waters», because the compound word is «a little».

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вода, воды, море, водоем, поливать, напоить, поить, водный, водяной

существительное ↓

глагол ↓

прилагательное ↓

В выражениях, идиомах и прочем

Примеры с переводом

Примеры, ожидающие перевода

Однокоренные слова

waterage  — перевозка грузов по воде
watered  — разбавленный, муаровый
watering  — полив, поливка, орошение, обводнение, поливочный
waterless  — безводный
watery  — водянистый, водяной, жидкий, мокрый, жидковатый, бледный, бесцветный
waters  — море
overwater  — надводный, водный
underwater  — подводный, под водой
wateriness  — водянистость
unwater  — осушать, удалять воду, обезвоживать

Формы слова

verb
I/you/we/they: water
he/she/it: waters
ing ф. (present participle): watering
2-я ф. (past tense): watered
3-я ф. (past participle): watered

noun
ед. ч.(singular): water
мн. ч.(plural): waters