hydroponic

IPA/ˌhaɪ.drəˈpɒn.ɪk/
KK[hˌaɪdrəpˈɑnɪk]IPA/ˌhaɪ.drəˈpɑː.nɪk/

hydroponic — adjective

  • hydroponicpositive
  • more hydroponiccomparative
  • most hydroponicsuperlative

1. relating to a system for raising crops without soil, where the roots are fed by

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

relating to a system for raising crops without soil, where the roots are fed by a liquid solution containing all necessary minerals (or by sand or gravel soaked in that liquid).

Example

Tara installed a small hydroponic system to grow lettuce in her kitchen.

collocation: hydroponic system

Nadia claims that hydroponic herbs taste fresher than those from a store.

hydroponic + herbs / lettuce / tomatoes — noun pairing

Common collocations
  • hydroponic system
  • hydroponic farming
  • hydroponic gardening
  • hydroponic lettuce
  • hydroponic tomatoes
  • hydroponic herbs
  • hydroponic setup
  • hydroponic greenhouse
Synonyms
  • soilless

    broader term; can refer to any growing method that does not use earth, including aeroponics and aquaponics

Antonyms
  • soil-based

    refers to traditional farming or gardening that uses earth as the growing medium

  • earth-grown

    less common; used mainly in informal or product-labeling contexts

Grammar Patterns

hydroponic + noun

Usage Note

This adjective is almost always used before a noun (for example, ‚hydroponic system,‛ ‚hydroponic lettuce‛). It is rarely used on its own after a verb like ‚is.‛

Common Mistakes

I grow vegetables hydroponic way.
I grow vegetables using hydroponic methods.
‚hydroponic‛ is an adjective and must modify a noun directly or follow ‚is‛ + a noun phrase.

Word family

  • hydroponics
    nounB2
  • hydroponically
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words describe growing methods that do not use traditional soil. Hydroponic specifically means the roots are in a nutrient-rich liquid solution (or a material soaked with it). Soilless is a broader umbrella term that includes hydroponic, aeroponic (roots hang in air and are misted), and aquaponic (fish waste provides nutrients). Aquaponic adds the element of fish farming, so it describes a combined system. In everyday use, hydroponic is by far the most common term consumers see on produce labels or in gardening catalogs. ‚These hydroponic lettuces were grown in a nutrient solution, whereas aquaponic lettuces get their nutrients from the fish tank water downstream.‛

soillessaquaponicaeroponic

Etymology

GreekEnglish

The word was coined in the 1930s from two Greek roots: ‚hydro-‛ meaning ‚water‛ (from ‚hydor‛) and ‚-ponic‛ (from ‚ponos‛ meaning ‚labor‛ or ‚toil‛). Together they describe the idea of "water-working" — growing plants by supplying nutrients through water rather than through soil.