water
water — verb
1. to apply water to the ground where flowers or vegetables are planted so that the
to apply water to the ground where flowers or vegetables are planted so that they do not dry out
Gabriel waters the tomato plants in his garden every morning before work.
water + [plant noun] — direct object pattern
Sirin asked her neighbour to water the flower pots while she was on holiday.
ask someone to water [plants] — request pattern
Ritu uses an old watering can to water the herbs on her kitchen windowsill.
Mr. Okonkwo waters the park's rose bushes twice a day during summer to stop them wilting.
文法句型
water + noun phrase (plants/soil/garden)
用法筆記
Object is typically a plant, the soil around it, or a garden area. Frequently takes a frequency adverb (every day, twice a week).
常見錯誤
2. to offer a creature such as a horse or cow a supply of drinking water
to offer a creature such as a horse or cow a supply of drinking water
Eliska waters the horses after they return from the long ride through the valley.
water + [animal noun] — object pattern for livestock
The farmer's daughter waters the sheep every evening before sunset.
Bilal forgot to water the cattle, so his father sent him back to fill the trough.
During the heatwave the zoo keeper watered the elephants three times a day.
文法句型
water + animal noun phrase
用法筆記
Used mainly for farm animals and livestock. For pets (dogs, cats) speakers more commonly say 'give [animal] water' or 'put water out for [animal].'
3. to produce extra saliva in the mouth when someone sees, smells, or even thinks a
to produce extra saliva in the mouth when someone sees, smells, or even thinks about food that they really want to eat
Every time Sivan passes the bakery, her mouth waters at the smell of fresh bread.
mouth waters + at [smell/sight] — stimulus preposition
The photos of grilled steak made Cyrus's mouth water even though he had eaten lunch.
make [possessive] mouth water — causative pattern
Mathieu's mouth watered when his grandmother lifted the lid off the soup pot.
The smell of frying onions drifted from the kitchen and made everyone's mouth water.
- salivate
more formal, medical; can be involuntary without desire for food
文法句型
mouth waters + at/over + noun phrase
mouth waters + when/because clause
用法筆記
Almost always used with mouth as the subject. The phrase is typically 'mouth waters' (present) or 'mouth watered' (past), with possessive determiner (my, his, everyone's) before mouth. Common in descriptive writing about food.
常見錯誤
4. when an irritant such as cold wind or smoke makes your eyes release liquid, rath
when an irritant such as cold wind or smoke makes your eyes release liquid, rather than from sadness or upset
Jessica's eyes started watering when she chopped the onions for the soup.
eyes + start watering + [cause] — inchoative pattern
The cold wind made Sirin's eyes water as she cycled home from school.
When Lara wears her contact lenses too long, her eyes begin to water and turn red.
Bilal's eyes watered so much from the campfire smoke that he could barely see.
- tear up
slightly informal, can also be emotional; 'eyes water' is more physical
文法句型
eyes water + because of/due to + noun phrase
eyes + start/begin to water
用法筆記
Subject is typically 'eyes' with a possessive determiner. The cause (onions, smoke, wind, allergies) is usually stated with 'from', 'because of', or a when-clause. Contrast with 'cry', which implies emotional sadness.
常見錯誤
water — noun
1. the clear liquid that falls from clouds as rain, fills rivers and lakes, and is
the clear liquid that falls from clouds as rain, fills rivers and lakes, and is essential for people, animals, and plants to live
Tamar filled a glass with cold water from the kitchen tap.
count: a glass of water
Nadia filled a bucket with warm water and a bit of soap to wash her muddy bicycle.
uncountable: warm water + soap — water as a substance
After the hike, Kwame drank a whole bottle of water in one go.
Marta boiled the tap water for five minutes before filling her son's bottle.
The water in this river is so clean that you can see the fish swimming.
- H2O
scientific term; too formal for everyday conversation
用法筆記
Uncountable; use 'a glass of water', 'some water', 'a bottle of water' rather than 'a water'. For bottled servings the countable form is used informally ('two waters, please').
常見錯誤
2. a place that contains water, like an ocean, lake, river, or man-made pool for sw
a place that contains water, like an ocean, lake, river, or man-made pool for swimming
The children splashed in the shallow water near the beach.
preposition collocation: in the water
Dewi sat by the still water of the lake and watched the sunset.
The resort in Bali had crystal-clear water filled with tropical fish, perfect for snorkelling right off the beach.
Selim jumped into the water to cool off after a long run.
Rubbish floating on the water made it unsafe for swimming.
- body of water
more formal and geographical; used for larger areas like oceans and lakes
用法筆記
Often preceded by 'in', 'on', 'under', 'into', or 'across' to describe position or movement relative to a body of water. 'Still water' means water that is not moving (a lake or pond), as opposed to 'running water' (a river or stream).
常見錯誤
3. the measurement of how high a body of water stands, especially when it goes up o
the measurement of how high a body of water stands, especially when it goes up or down
After three days of heavy rain, the water rose above the riverbank.
verb + water: water rises / water falls
The water level in the reservoir dropped dangerously low during the summer drought.
Mira checked the water in the basement every hour during the storm.
When the tide came in, the water reached the bottom step of the wooden pier.
The water was so high that the street signs were almost completely covered.
- waterline
specifically the line where water meets the shore or a ship's hull
- water level
the more precise term for the measurement of height
用法筆記
Commonly appears with verbs describing change: 'rise', 'fall', 'drop', 'recede', 'reach'. 'The water' in this sense always implies the surface level of a specific body of water already known from context.
4. a polite or indirect word for urine, the yellowish liquid waste that the body ge
a polite or indirect word for urine, the yellowish liquid waste that the body gets rid of
The doctor asked Brandon to provide a sample of his water for testing.
medical register: water sample
The nurse asked the patient if he had passed water that morning.
idiom: pass water
After the surgery, Élise found it painful to pass water for a few days.
The vet checked whether the cat was passing water normally after the operation.
用法筆記
Used mainly in medical or polite contexts. The full expression is 'pass water' (verb phrase). Avoid in very formal writing where 'urinate' is more appropriate; avoid in casual conversation where 'pee' or 'go to the toilet' is more natural.
常見錯誤
5. the part of an ocean or sea that is next to a country's coast and is under that
the part of an ocean or sea that is next to a country's coast and is under that country's legal authority
Foreign fishing boats are not allowed in Japanese waters without a permit.
possessive noun + waters: Japanese waters
The navy patrols the country's territorial waters to prevent illegal fishing.
collocation: territorial waters
Andrei sailed into international waters to avoid the coast guard inspection.
Indonesia and Malaysia argued over fishing rights in the waters between the two countries for more than twenty years.
Ships must reduce speed when entering coastal waters near the wildlife reserve.
- maritime territory
more technical legal term for a country's sea area
- jurisdiction
broader term covering legal authority on land as well as sea
用法筆記
Always plural ('waters'). Frequently preceded by an adjective of nationality ('Japanese waters', 'Australian waters') or by 'international' for waters outside any country's jurisdiction. This sense is distinct from sense 6 (LOCAL WATERS): sense 5 focuses on legal/political boundaries, while sense 6 focuses on the water as a physical substance in a location.
6. the liquid that fills a specific stretch of sea, one lake, or one river, often d
the liquid that fills a specific stretch of sea, one lake, or one river, often described by its colour, temperature, or mineral content
The waters of Lake Baikal are among the clearest in the world.
pattern: the waters of [place]
Astrid loved swimming in the warm waters of the Caribbean during her holiday.
The dark waters of the river moved slowly after weeks without rain.
Fishermen know that the waters near the reef are full of colourful fish.
Chidi tested the waters of the hot spring every month to see how the mineral levels changed with the seasons.
用法筆記
Almost always plural ('waters'). Often used with a descriptive adjective ('warm waters', 'dark waters', 'clear waters') or followed by 'of + place name'. Distinguish from sense 5 (TERRITORIAL WATERS): sense 6 is about the physical characteristics of the water itself, not legal boundaries.
7. the protective fluid in which an unborn baby floats inside the mother during pre
the protective fluid in which an unborn baby floats inside the mother during pregnancy
During the ultrasound, the doctor checked Rin's amniotic fluid levels.
amniotic fluid levels — measured during pregnancy scans
Sari's waters broke just before midnight, so she went to the hospital.
waters broke — common medical phrase for amniotic fluid release
The midwife watched the monitor closely as Rin's amniotic fluid level dropped during the night.
The nurse told Allison that her waters had broken and the baby was ready.
- amniotic fluid
the formal medical term; 'waters' is the everyday term used by pregnant women and midwives
用法筆記
Often used in the plural as 'waters' to refer to the release of amniotic fluid before birth ('her waters broke'). The singular 'water' is used in medical contexts to describe the fluid itself ('amniotic fluid levels').
常見錯誤
8. combined with particular adjectives in phrases that refer to a problematic, risk
combined with particular adjectives in phrases that refer to a problematic, risky, or uncomfortable state of affairs
After losing his job, Bilal found himself in deep financial water.
in deep water — idiom for serious difficulty
The construction company was in troubled waters after the loan fell through.
in troubled waters — idiom for an unstable situation
Isabela knew she was in dangerous waters when she signed that unusual contract.
Students who skip important exams often find themselves in hot water later.
- trouble
a direct synonym with the same meaning but less idiomatic
- difficulty
more formal and less colourful than 'deep water'
- smooth sailing
the opposite idiomatic expression for an easy situation
用法筆記
Always used with a modifying adjective (deep, troubled, hot, dangerous, uncharted, murky) before 'water(s)'. The plural 'waters' is more common with 'troubled' and 'uncharted'; the singular 'water' appears with 'deep', 'hot', and 'murky'. No definite article is used before the adjective ('in deep water', not 'in the deep water').
常見錯誤
9. water from a natural spring, especially one historically believed to have healin
water from a natural spring, especially one historically believed to have healing properties
In the nineteenth century, wealthy Europeans travelled to Bath to drink the spring water.
drink the spring water — historical health practice at spa towns
The spa served mineral water from a local spring known for its healing properties.
Tunde's grandmother believed that drinking spring water each morning kept her healthy.
Tourists still visit the old well to collect water once thought to cure fevers.
- mineral water
the modern commercial term; less specific to the historical health context
- spa water
emphasises the resort context where people bathed in or drank the water
用法筆記
This sense is largely historical. The word 'water' in this context often appears with 'mineral', 'spring', or the name of a spa town (e.g. 'Bath water', 'Vichy water'). Modern usage survives mainly in the marketing of bottled mineral water.
water — suffix
1. used to form adjectives meaning that something is related to, resistant to, or a
used to form adjectives meaning that something is related to, resistant to, or affected by water
A waterproof jacket keeps you dry when you walk in the rain.
waterproof — adjective meaning resistant to water
The ship's watertight doors are designed to stop seawater from entering.
watertight — adjective meaning sealed against water
After three days of rain, the football pitch was completely waterlogged.
Dahlia chose a water-based paint for the bedroom because it has less smell.
The water-soluble paint on Mei-Lin's art project washed off easily with just a bit of warm water.
用法筆記
This is a productive combining form, meaning new compounds are frequently created. Common compounds include waterproof (blocks water), watertight (sealed against leaks), waterlogged (saturated), water-based (dissolved or suspended in water), water-resistant (partially blocks water), and water-soluble (dissolves in water).