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Water
Water is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth’s streams, lakes, and oceans, and the fluids of most living organisms. It is vital for all known forms of life, even though it provides no calories or organic nutrients. Its chemical formula is H2O, meaning that each of its molecules contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms, connected by covalent bonds. Water is the name of the liquid state of H2O at standard ambient temperature and pressure. It forms precipitation in the form of rain and aerosols in the form of fog. Clouds are formed from suspended droplets of water and ice, its solid state. When finely divided, crystalline ice may precipitate in the form of snow. The gaseous state of water is steam or water vapor. Water moves continually through the water cycle of evaporation, transpiration (evapotranspiration), condensation, precipitation, and runoff, usually reaching the sea.
Water covers 71% of the Earth’s surface, mostly in seas and oceans. Small portions of water occur as groundwater (1.7%), in the glaciers and the ice caps of Antarctica and Greenland (1.7%), and in the air as vapor, clouds (formed of ice and liquid water suspended in air), and precipitation (0.001%).Water plays an important role in the world economy. Approximately 70% of the freshwater used by humans goes to agriculture. Fishing in salt and fresh water bodies is a major source of food for many parts of the world. Much of long-distance trade of commodities (such as oil and natural gas) and manufactured products is transported by boats through seas, rivers, lakes, and canals. Large quantities of water, ice, and steam are used for cooling and heating, in industry and homes. Water is an excellent solvent for a wide variety of chemical substances; as such it is widely used in industrial processes, and in cooking and washing. Water is also central to many sports and other forms of entertainment, such as swimming, pleasure boating, boat racing, surfing, sport fishing, and diving.
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Water (noun)
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.”
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Water (noun)
The liquid form of this substance: liquid H₂O.
“May I have a glass of water?”
“Your plants need more water.”
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Water (noun)
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.”
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Water (noun)
Water in a body; an area of open water.
“The boat was found within the territorial waters.”
“These seals are a common sight in the coastal waters of Chile.”
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Water (noun)
A body of water, almost always a river.
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Water (noun)
A combination of water and other substance(s).
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Water (noun)
A serving of liquid water.
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Water (noun)
Mineral water.
“Perrier is the most popular water in this restaurant.”
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Water (noun)
Spa water.
“Many people visit Bath to take the waters.”
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Water (noun)
A solution in water of a gaseous or readily volatile substance.
“ammonia water”
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Water (noun)
Urine. from 15th c.
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Water (noun)
Amniotic fluid; used only in the plural in the UK but often also in the singular in North America, especially to avoid cacophony, as in this example: (The Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary says “often used in plural; also: bag of waters”)
“Before the child is born, the pregnant woman’s water breaks.”
“Before your child is born, your water(s) will break.”
“Before the child is born, the pregnant woman’s waters break.”
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Water (noun)
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.”
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Water (noun)
A person’s intuition.
“I know he’ll succeed. I feel it in my waters.”
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Water (noun)
Excess valuation of securities.
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Water (noun)
The limpidity and lustre of a precious stone, especially a diamond.
“a diamond of the first water is perfectly pure and transparent”
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Water (noun)
A wavy, lustrous pattern or decoration such as is imparted to linen, silk, metals, etc.
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Water (verb)
To pour water into the soil surrounding (plants).
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Water (verb)
To wet or supply with water; to moisten; to overflow with water; to irrigate.
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Water (verb)
To provide (animals) with water for drinking.
“I need to go water the cattle.”
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Water (verb)
To get or take in water.
“The ship put into port to water.”
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Water (verb)
To urinate onto.
“Nature called, so I stepped into the woods and watered a tree.”
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Water (verb)
To dilute.
“Can you water the whisky, please?”
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Water (verb)
To overvalue (securities), especially through deceptive accounting.
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Water (verb)
To fill with or secrete water.
“Chopping onions makes my eyes water.”
“The smell of fried onions makes my mouth water.”
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Water (verb)
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”
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Beverage (noun)
A liquid to consume; a drink, such as tea, coffee, liquor, beer, milk, juice, or soft drinks, usually excluding water.
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Beverage (noun)
(A gift of) drink money.
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Water (noun)
a colourless, transparent, odourless liquid that forms the seas, lakes, rivers, and rain and is the basis of the fluids of living organisms
“sodium chloride dissolves in water”
“can I have a drink of water?”
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Water (noun)
water as supplied to houses or commercial establishments through pipes and taps
“water pipes”
“each bedroom has a washbasin with hot and cold water”
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Water (noun)
one of the four elements in ancient and medieval philosophy and in astrology (considered essential to the nature of the signs Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces)
“a water sign”
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Water (noun)
the water of a mineral spring as used medicinally for bathing in or drinking
“you can take the waters at the Pump Room”
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Water (noun)
a solution of a specified substance in water
“ammonia water”
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Water (noun)
a stretch or area of water, such as a river, sea, or lake
“the lawns ran down to the water’s edge”
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Water (noun)
the surface of an area of water
“she ducked under the water”
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Water (noun)
found in, on, or near areas of water
“a water plant”
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Water (noun)
the water of a particular sea, river, or lake
“the government are taking us into unknown waters with these changes in the legislation”
“the waters of Hudson Bay”
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Water (noun)
an area of sea regarded as under the jurisdiction of a particular country
“Japanese coastal waters”
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Water (noun)
urine
“drinking alcohol will make you need to pass water more often”
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Water (noun)
the amniotic fluid surrounding a fetus in the womb, especially as discharged in a flow shortly before birth
“I think my waters have broken”
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Water (noun)
the quality of transparency and brilliance shown by a diamond or other gem.
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Water (noun)
capital stock that represents a book value greater than the true assets of a company.
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Water (verb)
pour or sprinkle water over (a plant or area) in order to encourage plant growth
“I went out to water the geraniums”
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Water (verb)
give a drink of water to (an animal)
“they stopped to water the horses”
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Water (verb)
(of a river) flow through (an area of land)
“the valley is watered by the River Dee”
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Water (verb)
take a fresh supply of water on board (a ship or steam train)
“the ship was watered and fresh livestock taken aboard”
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Water (verb)
(of a person’s eyes) fill with tears
“Rory blinked, his eyes watering”
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Water (verb)
(of a person’s mouth) produce saliva, typically in response to the sight or smell of appetizing food
“the smell of frying bacon made Hilary’s mouth water”
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Water (verb)
dilute or adulterate (a drink, typically an alcoholic one) with water
“staff at the club had been watering down the drinks”
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Water (verb)
make a statement or proposal less forceful or controversial by changing or leaving out certain details
“the army’s report of its investigation was considerably watered down”
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Water (verb)
increase (a company’s debt, or nominal capital) by the issue of new shares without a corresponding addition to assets.
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Beverage (noun)
(chiefly in commercial use) a drink other than water.