hydraulic
adjective
hy·drau·lic
hī-ˈdrȯ-lik 
1
: operated, moved, or effected by means of water
2
a
: of or relating to hydraulics
hydraulic engineer
b
: of or relating to water or other liquid in motion
hydraulic erosion
3
: operated by the resistance offered or the pressure transmitted when a quantity of liquid (such as water or oil) is forced through a comparatively small orifice or through a tube
hydraulic brakes
4
: hardening or setting under water
hydraulic cement
Did you know?
By means of a hydraulic lift, the driver can lift the bed of a dump truck with the touch of a button. He might also repair the hydraulic steering, the hydraulic brake, or the hydraulic clutch—all of which, like the lift that holds everything up, take advantage of the way liquids act under pressure. Somewhat like a pulley or a lever, a hydraulic system magnifies the effect of moderate pressure exerted over a longer distance into powerful energy for a shorter distance.
Examples of hydraulic in a Sentence
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So there are things like individual throttle valves, dry sump lubrication, solid cam finger followers (instead of hydraulic valve lifters), titanium con rods, and forged pistons.
—
Ars Technica, 29 Jan. 2025
Stopping power is provided by hydraulic disc brakes front and rear, each gripping 160-mm rotors when needed.
—New Atlas, 28 Jan. 2025
Dams were built to aid mining efforts, changing the course of rivers, and hydraulic mining techniques washed sediment into bodies of water that flowed into agricultural areas, threatening farms and human health.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025
The Alpha is built around an aluminum alloy frame in low or high step versions, each with a hydraulic suspension fork, and the whole shebang is reported to be IPX4 weatherproof.
—Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 24 Jan. 2025
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Ars Technica, 29 Jan. 2025
Stopping power is provided by hydraulic disc brakes front and rear, each gripping 160-mm rotors when needed.
—New Atlas, 28 Jan. 2025
Dams were built to aid mining efforts, changing the course of rivers, and hydraulic mining techniques washed sediment into bodies of water that flowed into agricultural areas, threatening farms and human health.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025
The Alpha is built around an aluminum alloy frame in low or high step versions, each with a hydraulic suspension fork, and the whole shebang is reported to be IPX4 weatherproof.
—Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hydraulic
Dictionary Entries Near hydraulic
Cite this Entry
“Hydraulic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydraulic. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hydraulic
adjective
hy·drau·lic
hī-ˈdrȯ-lik
1
: operated, moved, or brought about by means of water
2
: of or relating to hydraulics
hydraulic engineer
3
: operated by pressure transmitted when a quantity of liquid is forced through a small hole or through a tube
hydraulic brakes
4
: hardening or setting under water
hydraulic cement
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