water
noun /ˈwɔːtə(r)/
/ˈwɔːtər/
Idioms - [uncountable] a liquid without colour, smell or taste that falls as rain, is in lakes, rivers and seas, and is used for drinking, washing, etc. Water is the name given to the chemical compound of oxygen and hydrogen with the chemical symbol H₂O.
- a glass of water
- drinking water
- There is hot and cold running water (= water supplied by pipes) in all the bedrooms.
- The refugees are desperate for food, clean water and medical supplies.
- All chickens need a continuous supply of fresh water to drink.
- water pollution
- water shortages
- concerns about water quality
- The water (= the supply of water) was turned off for several hours each day during the drought.
Extra ExamplesTopics Drinksa1- Alexis filled the sink with soapy water.
- As the weather heats up, water evaporates.
- Avoid drinking the tap water when you first arrive in the country.
- Brown water gushed out of the rusty old tap.
- Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water.
- Don't slosh too much water on the floor when you're having a bath.
- He twisted it to drain the excess water.
- How do you pump the water up here?
- I could feel the icy water entering my lungs.
- She dried off the excess water from her hair.
- Some fields have areas with standing water.
- That causes the moss to absorb water.
- The burst pipe was spurting water everywhere.
- The farmers draw their irrigation water from the Colorado.
- The surface water made the road treacherous for drivers.
- There was water dripping from a hole in the ceiling.
- They turned the water off for a few hours to do some work on the pipes.
- Water got into the boat and was sloshing around under our feet.
- a woman fetching water
- areas which are dependent on ground water
- household water heaters
- the fast-flowing water of the river
- the purest well water
- the region's most important fresh water source
- They climbed a tree to escape the rising water.
- The water is now receding after the floods.
- The water was rising fast.
- A pesticide that dissolves in water can move with water in the soil.
- Wash the skin thoroughly with soap and warm water.
- The site had no electricity or water.
- They survived for two days without food or water.
- a water treatment plant
- The children were all told to bring a bottle of water.
- a water bottle
- A water molecule can be split into hydrogen and oxygen atoms.
- water vapour
- the impact of agriculture on the region's water resources
- Any excess water is left in the water tank.
- Trout cannot survive in ponds where water temperatures exceed 75 degrees.
- She took the teacup and poured the water onto the floor.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- boiling
- chilled
- cold
- …
- drop
- drink
- sip
- …
- drink
- sip
- gulp
- …
- flow
- pour
- run
- …
- vapour/vapor
- temperature
- pressure
- …
- [uncountable] an area of water, especially a lake, river, sea or ocean
- We walked down to the water's edge.
- shallow/deep water
- in the water It was lovely and cool in the water.
- She fell into the water.
- In the lagoon the water was calm.
Extra ExamplesTopics Transport by watera1- She crouched at the water's edge to wash her hands.
- The boat cut effortlessly through the water.
- large expanses of open water
- Swans glided across the water.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- deep
- shallow
- clear
- …
- rise
- recede
- sports
- by water
- in the water
- on the water
- …
- the water’s edge
- [uncountable] the surface of a mass of water
- on the water The leaves floated on the water.
- in the water I could see my reflection in the water.
- under the water She dived under the water.
- He disappeared under the water.
Extra Examples- I saw something large floating in the water.
- An abandoned town lies under the water of the reservoir.
- The swan landed gracefully on the water.
- Try to keep your head above the water.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- deep
- shallow
- clear
- …
- rise
- recede
- sports
- by water
- in the water
- on the water
- …
- the water’s edge
- waters[plural] the water in a particular lake, river, sea or ocean
- the grey waters of the River Clyde
- This species is found in coastal waters around the Indian Ocean.
Extra Examples- At last the boat reached safer waters.
- inland navigable waters
- the calm waters of Lake Como
- the freezing waters of the Irish Sea
- the icy waters of the North Atlantic
- the shark-infested waters off the coast of Florida
- The ship had drifted into uncharted waters.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- deep
- shallow
- clear
- …
- rise
- recede
- sports
- by water
- in the water
- on the water
- …
- the water’s edge
- waters[plural] an area of sea or ocean belonging to a particular country
- in… waters We were still in British waters.
- fishing in international waters
- The submarine had strayed into Russian waters.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- territorial
- coastal
- tropical
- …
- in… water
- into… water
- waters[plural] murky, uncharted, stormy, dangerous, etc. waters used to describe a situation, usually one that is difficult, dangerous or not familiar
- The conversation got into the murky waters of jealousy and relationships.
- The government has warned of stormy waters ahead.
- I was going into uncharted waters.
Word OriginOld English wæter (noun), wæterian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch water, German Wasser, from an Indo-European root shared by Russian voda (compare with vodka), also by Latin unda ‘wave’ and Greek hudōr ‘water’.
Idioms
be in/get into hot water
- (informal) to be in or get into trouble
blood is thicker than water
- (saying) family relationships are stronger than any others
blow somebody/something out of the water (informal)
- to destroy somebody/something completely
- to show that somebody/something is not good by being very much better than it/them
- I like my old phone, but this new model blows it out of the water.
by water
- (formal) using a boat or ship
- They reached Naples by water.
- Goods were often transported by water in the 19th century.
clear blue water (between A and B)
- a complete difference or division between two people or groups
- Voters want to see clear blue water between the main parties.
- They failed to put clear blue water between themselves and their competitors.
dead in the water
- a person or plan that is dead in the water has failed and has little hope of succeeding in the future
- His leadership campaign is dead in the water.
dip a toe in/into something | dip a toe in/into the water
- (informal) to start doing something very carefully to see if it will be successful or not
- We decided to dip a toe in the computer games market.
a fish out of water
- a person who feels uncomfortable because he or she is in an environment that is not familiar
(come) hell or high water
- despite any difficulties
- I was determined to go, come hell or high water.
in deep water(s)
- (informal) in trouble or difficultyTopics Difficulty and failurec2
it’s (all) water under the bridge
- used to say that something happened in the past and is now forgotten or no longer important
keep your head above water
- to deal with a difficult situation, especially one in which you have financial problems, and just manage to survive
- I’m not sure how much longer we’ll be able to keep our heads above water.
(take to something) like a duck to water
- (to become used to something) very easily, without any problems or fears
- She has taken to teaching like a duck to water.
like water
- (informal) in large quantities
- He spends money like water.
not hold water
- (informal) if an argument, an excuse, a theory, etc. does not hold water, you cannot believe itTopics Opinion and argumentc2
pass water
- (formal) to urinate
pour/throw cold water on something
- to give reasons for not being in favour of something; to criticize something
- She immediately poured cold water on his plans to expand the business.
pour oil on troubled water(s)
- to try to settle an argumentTopics Discussion and agreementc2
still waters run deep
- (saying) a person who seems to be quiet or shy may surprise you by knowing a lot or having deep feelings
test the waters
- to find out what the situation is before doing something or making a decision
tread water
- to keep yourself in the same place in deep water by moving your arms and legs
- to make no progress while you are waiting for something to happen
- I decided to tread water until a better job came along.
(like) water off a duck’s back
- (informal) used to say that something, especially criticism, has no effect on somebody/something
- I can't tell my son what to do; it's water off a duck's back with him.
somebody’s waters break
- when a pregnant woman’s waters break, the liquid in her womb passes out of her body just before the baby is bornTopics Life stagesc2
you can lead/take a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink
- (saying) you can give somebody the opportunity to do something, but you cannot force them to do it if they do not want to