hydrate
hydrate Lexical Profile
hydrate Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To cause to absorb or combine with water or moisture, or to drink fluids to restore bodily water balance.
"Long-distance runners must hydrate regularly throughout the race to prevent heat exhaustion."
To combine chemically with water molecules (of a substance or compound).
"When Portland cement is mixed with water, the calcium silicates hydrate and harden into a rigid matrix."
• noun
A chemical compound in which water molecules are chemically bound to another element or compound in a definite ratio.
"Copper sulfate pentahydrate is a common blue crystalline hydrate used in chemistry laboratories."
Word Nuance & Usage
The noun and verb have distinct pronunciations: as a noun in chemistry, the second syllable is reduced (/ˈhaɪdrət/ or /ˈhaɪdreɪt/), whereas the verb always has a secondary stress and long vowel in the final syllable (/ˈhaɪdreɪt/).
• Rhymes for hydrate
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the early 19th century by French chemist Joseph Louis Proust from Ancient Greek 'hydōr' (water) combined with the chemical suffix '-ate'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.