hydraulic

 [hahy-draw-lik, -drol-ik]   Example Sentences Origin

hy·drau·lic

   [hahy-draw-lik, -drol-ik]
adjective
1.
operated by, moved by, or employing water or other liquids in motion.
2.
operated by the pressure created by forcing water, oil, or another liquid through a comparatively narrow pipe or orifice.
3.
of or pertaining to water or other liquids in motion.
4.
of or pertaining to hydraulics.
5.
hardening under water, as a cement.
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Origin:
1620–30; < Latin hydraulicus < Greek hydraulikós of a water organ. See hydraulus, -ic

Related forms
hy·drau·li·cal·ly, adverb
non·hy·drau·lic, adjective
un·hy·drau·lic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Hydraulic is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
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Example Sentences
  • Because the use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing is opening new oil and gas resources.
  • Ocean waves move the hydraulic fluid, which spins the generator.
  • Using hydraulic jacks, the entire building can be raised.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
hydraulic (haɪˈdrɒlɪk)
 
—adj
1.  operated by pressure transmitted through a pipe by a liquid, such as water or oil
2.  of, concerned with, or employing liquids in motion
3.  of or concerned with hydraulics
4.  hardening under water: hydraulic cement
 
[C17: from Latin hydraulicus of a water organ, from Greek hudraulikos, from hudraulos water organ, from hydro- + aulos pipe, reed instrument]
 
hy'draulically
 
—adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

hydraulic
1606, from Gk. hydraulikos organon "water organ," from hydr-, stem of hydor "water" (see water (n.1)) + aulos "musical instrument, hollow tube." Extended in L. authors to other kinds of water engines.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
hydraulic   (hī-drô'lĭk)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. Operated by the pressure of water or other liquids. Hydraulic systems, such as hydraulic brakes, allow mechanical force to be transferred along curved paths (through pipes or tubes) that would be difficult for solid mechanisms, such as levers or cables, to negotiate efficiently.

  2. Relating to hydraulics.

  3. Capable of hardening under water, as cement.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

hydraulic definition


A descriptive term for a system operated or moved by a fluid. The hydraulic jack, in which force is transmitted from a handle by means of a heavy oil, is probably the most familiar hydraulic device.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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