hydrant

noun

hy·​drant ˈhī-drənt How to pronounce hydrant (audio)
plural hydrants
1
: a discharge pipe with a valve and spout at which water may be drawn from a water main (as for fighting fires)

called also fireplug

2
: faucet

Examples of hydrant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Firefighters from Washington, Philadelphia and even New York rushed to help put out the flames, but without standard couplings, their hoses couldn’t connect to the Baltimore hydrants. Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 The Birmingham Fire Department had told city officials that water pressure in the streets' antiquated water mains was insufficient for hydrants to meet firefighting standards. Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 6 Feb. 2024 During the frantic moments on Tuesday after a wildfire jumped containment near a residential neighborhood in Lahaina, Hawaii, firefighters rushing to slow the spread were distressed to find that their hydrants were starting to run dry. Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2023 Firefighters have said that as the fire was spreading, their hydrants in Lahaina started to run dry because the water system was collapsing. Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2024 Water runs dry at height of fires Reports found that hydrants began to run dry during the height of the blaze as water pressure dipped amid the destruction. Tomas Navia, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2023 At the height of the fires in August, the water ran dry, with nothing flowing from hydrants when the firefighters needed it most. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 8 Dec. 2023 As for the broken and empty fire hydrants that hampered the firefighting response in 2018 and 2023, a spokesperson for the Maui Fire Department said the county water districts are responsible for making sure water flows to those hydrants and the equipment is functioning. Justine McDaniel, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2023 When thermometers in Chicago neared 100 on July 7, 1936, children at Racine Avenue and Ohio Street made the most of cooling water spurting from a hydrant that was turned on by the fire department. Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hydrant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Greek hydr-, form in derivatives and compounds of hýdōr "water" + -ant entry 1 — more at hydro-

Note: Though the above is the only likely etymology, the formation is peculiar, as the suffix -ant is normally associated with verbs of French and/or Latin origin. This peculiarity suggests a deliberate coinage, but its source is apparently unknown. The word is attested earliest in Philadelphia city ordinances from the first decade of the nineteenth century.

First Known Use

1806, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hydrant was in 1806

Dictionary Entries Near hydrant

Cite this Entry

“Hydrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrant. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

hydrant

noun
hy·​drant ˈhī-drənt How to pronounce hydrant (audio)
: a pipe with a valve and spout at which water may be drawn from the main pipes

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