hydro
hydro Lexical Profile
hydro Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Canadian Hydroelectric power, or the electrical power supply and utility service provided to homes and businesses.
"Monthly rent for the apartment includes heat and water, but tenants must pay for their own hydro."
British A hotel or health resort originally established to provide hydropathic water treatments.
"We spent a relaxing weekend at a historic Victorian hydro in the Scottish Highlands."
Hydroponics, or plants (especially cannabis) cultivated in a nutrient-rich water solution without soil.
"The agricultural students set up a small indoor system to experiment with growing herbs via hydro."
A high-speed motorboat designed to skim across the surface of the water on hulls or hydrofoils; a hydroplane.
"Spectators lined the lakeshore to watch the racing hydros roar across the water."
• adjective
Relating to or generated by water or hydroelectric power.
"The regional utility company announced plans to build two new hydro plants along the northern river valley."
Cultivated using hydroponics, in a nutrient-rich water solution rather than soil.
"The indoor greenhouse specializes in growing hydro tomatoes and leafy greens throughout the winter months."
Word Nuance & Usage
In Canadian English, "hydro" is the standard everyday term for household electricity and electrical utilities (as in "the hydro bill"), whereas in British English it traditionally refers to a hotel or health spa offering hydropathic water treatments.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Shortened in the 19th and 20th centuries from compounds such as 'hydropathic', 'hydroelectric', and 'hydroplane', all ultimately derived from the Ancient Greek 'hydor', meaning water.