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to water

to water

95 1.0
To give plants or animals something to drink
  • verb
  • /ˈwɔːtər/
: regar
  • Every chance I get, I water the plants.
  • water plants
  • water the garden
  • water crops

She gets the women to plant new trees and water them drop by drop.

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Examples

  • Finally, can I use tap water to water my spider plant?

  • And I shall water the plants.

  • You water it once a month.

  • Our next tip is to water based on the type of plant.

  • Starting with the seedling, make sure that you water the plant, OK?

  • One student may grow a garden and understand the importance of watering plants.

    Academic text (2013)
  • And I've watered all my house plants.

  • Don't forget to water my cactus.

  • You water the plants.

  • Every chance I get, I water the plants.

Synonyms

to hydrate
vsto water
48 3.3

To add water to something or to take water into the body

gives liquid directly to plants or animals for care
to irrigate
vsto water
15 4.3

To give water to land or crops to help them grow

gives liquid directly to plants or animals rather than using systems

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

Phrasal Verbs

to water down
  • Informal
48 4.0

To make something less strong by adding liquid or removing strong parts

17 4.9

To make sense and seem believable when checked

15 1.6

Move water from one place to another using a machine

Make water spray in small drops by hitting or moving through it

to take on water
  • Specialized
10 5.5

To begin to fill with water, often causing a boat to sink

To manage to survive when you have money problems

6 3.4

To glide across water while being pulled by a boat

4 8.5

Support or defend someone in a group, often without getting anything

4 7.4

Make people less excited about an idea or plan by saying bad things about it

1 7.4

Make someone feel less excited about an idea or plan

To move water through a tube from one place to another by letting it flow down

1 7.6

To let urine come out of your body

To put water into a container to keep or carry it

to take in water
  • Specialized
1 5.2

To allow water into a boat through a hole in its side

To make water more acidic by adding acid

To clean something using water to remove dirt or chemicals

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

How Wet

to saturate
8 5.2
to drench
11 3.0
to water
95 1.0
sprinkle
7 1.5

Surface Forms

water infinitive
watered past
watered past participle
watering present participle
waters third person singular

Etymology

Water as a verb comes from the noun water, the liquid, and it simply means to put that liquid on plants or animals. So to 'water' the plants is literally to give them 'water'.