Hydro- | Meaning Of Suffix Hydro- By Etymonline

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Origin and history of hydro-

hydro-

before vowels hydr-, word-forming element in compounds of Greek origin, meaning "water," from Greek hydro-, combining form of hydor "water" (from suffixed form of PIE root *wed- (1) "water; wet"). Also sometimes a combining form of hydrogen.

Entries linking to hydro-

hydrogen(n.)

colorless, gaseous element, 1791, hydrogene, from French hydrogène (Modern Latin hydrogenium), coined 1787 by G. de Morveau, Lavoisier, Berthollet, and Fourcroy from Greek hydr-, stem of hydor "water" (from suffixed form of PIE root *wed- (1) "water; wet") + French -gène "producing" (see -gen).

So called because it forms water when exposed to oxygen. Nativized in Russian as vodorod; in German, it is wasserstoff, "water-stuff." An earlier name for it in English was Cavendish's inflammable air (1767). Hydrogen bomb first recorded 1947; shortened form H-bomb is from 1950.

hydric(adj.)

1796 as a term in chemistry, "of or containing hydrogen." From 1918 in ecology, "having plentiful water;" see hydro- + -ic.

• hydrocortisone
• hydrodynamic
• hydro-electric
• hydrofoil
• hydrogeology
• hydrography
• hydrology
• hydrolysis
• hydrometer
• hydroplane
• hydroponics
• hydrosphere
• hydrostatic
• hydrotherapy
• hydrothermal
• hydrous
• hydroxide
• *wed-
• See All Related Words (20)

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heifer"young cow that has not had a calf," Middle English heifer, from Old English heahfore (West Saxon); Northumbrian hehfaro, heffera (plural), "heifer," of unknown origin, not found outside English. The first element seems to be heah "high," which is common in Old English compounds hankerc. 1600, "linger in expectation;" 1640s, "have a longing or craving for," of unknown origin. Probably from Flemish hankeren, related to Dutch hunkeren "to hanker, to long for," which is perhaps an intensive or frequentative of Middle Dutch hangen "to hang" (see hang (v.)). If so,cowboy1725, "boy who tends to cows and drives them to and from pasture," from cow (n.) + boy. American-English sense of "man employed to have care of grazing cattle on the Great Plains for a stockman or ranch, doing his work on horseback" is by 1849. Earlier it was an insulting name foforkOld English forca, force "pitchfork, forked instrument, forked weapon," from a Germanic borrowing (Old Frisian forke, Dutch vork, Old Norse forkr, Danish fork) of Latin furca "two-pronged fork; pitchfork; fork used in cooking," a word of uncertain origin. Old English also had fordwarfOld English dweorh, dweorg (West Saxon), duerg (Mercian), "very short human being, person much below ordinary stature, whether of proportionate parts or not," also "supernatural being of subhuman size," from Proto-Germanic *dweraz (source also of Old Frisian dwerch, Old Saxon dwepompc. 1300, "ostentation and display," especially on parade, from Old French pompe "pomp, magnificence" (13c.) and directly from Latin pompa "procession, pomp," from Greek pompē "solemn procession, display, escort," literally "a sending," from pempein "to send," which is of unknown hazardc. 1300, name of a game at dice, from Old French hasard, hasart "game of chance played with dice," also "a throw of six in dice" (12c.), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Spanish azar "an unfortunate card or throw at dice," which is said to be from Arabic az-zahr (for al-zahr) "Mississippioriginally the name of the river, from the French rendering of an Algonquian name (French missionaries first penetrated the river valley in its upper reaches) meaning "big river;" compare Ojibwa mshi- "big," ziibi "river." Organized as a U.S. territory 1798; admitted as a state 1tuxedoman's evening dress for semiformal occasions, 1889, named for Tuxedo Park, N.Y., a rural resort development for wealthy New Yorkers and site of a country club where it first was worn, supposedly in 1886. The name is an attractive subject for elaborate speculation, and connectionsfacetious"sportive, playful," 1590s, from French facétieux (16c.), from facétie "a joke" (15c.), from Latin facetiae "jests, witticisms" (singular facetia), from facetus "witty, elegant, fine, courteous," which is of unknown origin, perhaps related to facis "torch." Formerly often in a go

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‘cite’Page URL:https://www.etymonline.com/word/hydro-CopyHTML Link:<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/hydro-">Etymology of hydro- by etymonline</a>CopyAPA Style:Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of hydro-. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved January 8, 2026, from https://www.etymonline.com/word/hydro-CopyChicago Style:Harper Douglas, "Etymology of hydro-," Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed January 8, 2026, https://www.etymonline.com/word/hydro-.CopyMLA Style:Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of hydro-." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/hydro-. Accessed 8 January, 2026.CopyIEEE Style:D. Harper. "Etymology of hydro-." Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/hydro- (accessed January 8, 2026).CopyRemove AdsAdvertisement

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TrendingDictionary entries near hydro-

• hydration
• hydraulic
• hydraulics
• hydric
• hydro
• hydro-
• hydrocarbon
• hydrocephalus
• hydrochloric
• hydrocortisone
• hydrodynamic

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