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water

water

11 9.9
One of the four basic elements in old ideas about nature, like earth and fire
  • noun
  • /ˈwɔːtər/
  • Archaic
: agua
  • The first clock invented was the sundial. Later, the water clock was developed in China.
  • earth and water
  • fire and water
  • air and water

Earth, fire, wind, water, or control all animals?

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Examples

  • The fire was hot and dry, earth cold and dry, air hot and moist, and water cold and moist.

  • You must implore the wave like behavior of water in order to explain diffraction.

  • The results challenge the notion that water will lead to the next big wars of our time.

    Academic text (2008)
  • In several ancient traditions, there are male gods associated with water and the sea as well.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Ancient civilizations considered water to be one of the four elements along with earth, wind, and fire.

    Academic text (1995)
  • There must be something magical in the water in Amritsar.

  • Both men investigated the nature of water, though Livre had more specific ends.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Suppose we do not secure the fish container properly, and all the water leaks out on the trip.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • And we know the elements from the Hindi tradition like air, water, fire, ether and earth, right?

  • In ancient philosophy, water was considered one of the four fundamental elements of the universe.

Idioms

To seem perfect and able to do anything

in hot water
  • Informal
20 4.1

In trouble because you did something wrong

To beat someone or something completely by a lot

16 3.9

Something that happened in the past and is no longer important

Unable to continue because progress has stopped

13 3.5

Having enough money to pay your bills and avoid debt

11 8.4

Says that something will be done no matter what problems happen

9 4.7

To avoid serious money problems during hard times

8 8.3

No matter what happens or how difficult it is

7 9.9

To support someone and do things for them without asking questions

oil and water
  • Informal
6 4.6

People or things that are completely different and do not get along

6 8.8

An unknown cause that makes many people act or feel the same way

2 6.8

To surprise and beat someone or something by a large amount

2 7.4

To say things that make people less excited about a plan

1 7.5

Something bad that already happened and cannot be changed so do not worry about it

1 9.9

Of very high quality, like the best examples

1 9.1

To pass urine from the body

Does not let criticism or insults affect them

1 5.1

To keep enough money to pay bills and not owe money

1 9.8

Exposed and easy for others to attack or criticize

1 9.6

Try to do something that is very hard or impossible

A very respected expert with deep knowledge of a subject

A hard situation where no choice seems good

9.9

A plan or promise that looks real but is weak and will not last

9.7

To keep from peeing for a while

A person or thing of the very highest quality

A thing that is very weak, confusing, and far removed from the original idea

9.8

Something that helps someone and gives them an advantage

Compounds

140 1.0

Water that has been heated for cleaning, cooking or bathing

113 1.0

A cup filled with water for drinking

Safe water that you can drink

63 1.6

A system that gives water to homes and buildings for drinking and washing

51 1.0

Water sold in bottles for people to drink

49 1.0

Water that is not salty and found in rivers and lakes

48 1.0

Water that is safe to drink and use

33 3.8

Water a religious leader blesses and people use in a ceremony to make people and things clean and safe

32 1.0

Water that comes from a tap used for drinking or cooking

30 1.8

A machine that heats and keeps hot water for a home or building

30 2.1

How high the water surface is compared with the ground or a ship

hot water
  • Informal
29 4.0

A situation where a person is in trouble because of something they did

28 1.0

Water heated until it makes bubbles and steam

water vapor
  • Specialized
27 2.7

Gas that comes from water and floats in the air

26 4.9

In very deep parts of the sea

24 2.3

A set of pipes and buildings that collect, clean, and send water to homes

24 2.2

A large area of water like a lake, river, or ocean

23 1.0

Very cold water with ice cubes

A public tap that gives water you can drink

21 1.0

A container for carrying water to drink

20 2.9

A tall structure that stores water high to keep water flowing to a town

18 1.0

A park with pools, slides and water play areas

water pipe
  • Specialized
17 1.0

A tube that carries water into a house or building

16 1.9

A container that holds water for flushing a toilet

water main
  • Specialized
16 2.6

A large underground pipe that carries water to buildings

water pump
  • Specialized
15 3.0

A device that moves water or coolant through a car engine to prevent overheating

15 2.1

A team sport played in a swimming pool where players throw a ball into a goal

15 2.4

A low place in the ground where animals drink water

15 1.9

Water that has small amounts of minerals in it and is often fizzy

14 3.4

The time when the tide reaches its highest level

water cooler
  • Informal
13 2.8

A place in an office where people talk informally

water table
  • Specialized
12 3.9

The level underground where the soil or rock are full of water

11 1.0

Water that comes from under the ground and is safe to drink

Water with small bubbles that make it fizzy

water right
  • Specialized
10 5.7

Permission from the law to use water from a river or lake

10 1.0

A toy that sprays water for children to play with

A large farm animal like a cow that works in wet, muddy fields

9 3.1

A person who gives water to players during a game

8 3.2

Fast, rough parts of a river full of bubbles that look white

8 1.4

Calm water in a lake or pond with no waves

8 1.4

Water mixed with sugar makes a sweet drink or food for animals and plants

8 2.8

Water that comes from underground through a deep hole

8 3.9

A machine that sprays high-pressure water to push away crowds

8 2.8

Water under the ground that fills spaces in soil and rock

7 2.1

A machine that cools and gives drinking water

Harmful things in rivers, lakes, or seas that make water unsafe

7 2.7

A container filled with hot water to warm a bed or soothe a part of the body

7 2.8

A sport where a motorboat pulls a person on skis across water

A plan to manage rivers and lakes, like building a dam or irrigation system

Clear liquid inside a fresh coconut that people drink

7 2.2

A device that removes dirt, germs, and bad chemicals from water

cold water
  • Informal
7 6.3

Words or actions that make people less excited about a plan

Water that you make by boiling it and collecting the steam to remove minerals

7 1.3

A small toy that sprays water for play

The highest point something reaches, like water level or success

toilet water
  • Archaic
6 4.6

A light scented liquid people put on their skin to smell nice

6 3.4

Water that is dark and cloudy so you cannot see through it

6 1.0

A small glass for drinking water

6 1.0

A sport done in or on water, like swimming

A way of staying afloat by moving your arms and legs to keep your head above water

6 1.2

A clear fizzy drink made by adding gas to water, often used as a mixer

water sample
  • Specialized
6 2.7

A small amount of water that someone takes from a river, lake, or tap to test if it is clean

6 1.9

A pair of air-filled bags worn on the arms to help a child float while learning to swim

6 3.0

A machine that heats and stores water for a house or building

water bed
  • Archaic
5 2.7

A bed with a strong plastic mattress filled with water

5 1.9

A plant that floats on water with large round leaves and pretty white, pink, or yellow flowers

5 1.0

Water used to wash your body in a bathtub

heavy water
  • Specialized
5 7.8

A kind of water with heavier hydrogen atoms used in some nuclear reactors

To use water carefully to avoid waste and keep enough for the future

5 1.0

A device that controls the flow of water from a pipe

5 3.2

A large truck that carries and sprays water for roads, plants, or fires

5 2.2

An activity of standing on two long boards on water while a boat pulls you

water of life
  • Archaic
5 7.9

A very important drink people see as necessary for life that sometimes means whiskey or brandy

Surface Forms

water singular
waters plural

Etymology

Water comes from the old word wæter, and ancient thinkers used the same word for one of the basic elements of the world. That is why in old philosophy 'water' meant both the everyday liquid and the element thought to be cool and wet.