hydraulic

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From French hydraulique, from Latin hydraulicus, from Ancient Greek ὑδραυλικός (hudraulikós, of a water organ), from ὕδραυλις (húdraulis, water organ), from ὕδωρ (húdōr, water) + αὐλός (aulós, pipe).[1]

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /haɪˈdɹɒlɪk/
  • (US) IPA(key): /haɪˈdɹɔːlɪk/
  • (file)

Adjective

hydraulic (not comparable)

  1. Pertaining to water. [from early 17th c.]
    • 1757, Antoine-Simon Le Page du Pratz, History of Louisiana, page 47:
      Tho' there are but seventeen feet water[sic] in the channel, I have seen vessels of five hundred ton enter into it. I know not why this entrance is left so neglected, as we are not in want of able engineers in France, in the hydraulic branch, a part of the mathematics to which I have most applyed[sic] myself.
  2. Related to, or operated by, hydraulics.
    A hydraulic press is operated by the differential pressure of water on pistons of different dimensions.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

hydraulic (third-person singular simple present hydraulics, present participle hydraulicking, simple past and past participle hydraulicked)

  1. (transitive) To mine using the technique of hydraulic mining.

References

  1. Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “hydraulic”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
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