Wā'ter1, n.
n. [A-S. wāter, O. Sax. watar, water, O. Fries. water, watir, wetir, weter, L. Ger. & D. water, Icel. vatn, Sw. vatten, Goth. vato, O. H. Ger. wazar, wazzar, wazzir, M. H. Ger. wazzer, wazze, N. H. Ger. wasser, Dan. vand, Lith. wandu, Slav. woda, Gr. ὕδωρ; Lat. unda, a wave, udus, uvidus, wet, uvar, moistness, Skr. uda, the sea, und, to flow.]
Sense 1. The fluid which descends from the clouds in rain, and which forms rivers, lakes, seas, &c. “We will drink water.” Shak. “Powers of fire, air, water, and earth.” Milton.
☞ When pure, water is colorless, destitute of taste and smell, transparent, and in a very small degree compressible. It is a compound of oxygen and hydrogen—two volumes or measures of hydrogen gas, and one of oxygen gas. The proportion of the ingredients in weight is 88.9 parts of oxygen to 11.1 of hydrogen. It has its maximum density at 39° Fahr., changes to steam under the ordinary atmospheric pressure at 212°, and to ice at 32°.
Sense 2. A body of water, standing or flowing; a pond, stream, or other collection of water.
Remembering that he had passed over a small water a poor scholar, coming to the university, he knocked. Fuller.
Sense 3. One of various liquid secretions, humors, &c.;—so named from their resemblance to water; especially, the liquid secreted by the kidneys of an animal; urine.
Sense 4. The color or luster of a diamond; as, a diamond of the first water, that is, perfectly pure and transparent. Hence, of the first water, that is, of the first excellence.
☞ Water is often used in the formation of words, denoting that which belongs to, is made of, or grows or is situated in, water. It is used also in forming many self-explaining compounds; as, water-beaten, water-borne, water-circled, water-drop, water-girdled, water-lashed, water-nymph, water-rocked, water-side, water-spirit, water-worn, water-walled, and the like.
Hard water. See HARD.—Mineral waters, waters which are so impregnated with foreign ingredients, such as gaseous, sulphureous, and saline substances, as to give them medicinal properties, or a particular flavor or temperature.—Soft water. See SOFT.—To hold water, to be able to retain water without leaking; to be sound or tight.—To make water. (a.) To pass urine. Swift. (b.) (Naut.) To admit water; to leak.—Water of crystallization, the water forming a constituent of many salts, so called because considered essential to their crystallization. The term is going out of use. Dana.