hydrant

noun

hy·​drant ˈhī-drənt 

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

The agency has long described the dribbling hydrant as a safety hazard. —John Bacon, USA TODAY, 27 Oct. 2024

The first two fire engines reported difficulty securing a water source because some of the hydrants were not operating. —Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 24 Oct. 2024

Flores captures them sitting on stoops smoking cigarettes, playing basketball, roughhousing, playing in water gushing from hydrants, sunbathing at Orchard Beach, congregating in front of bodegas, listening to their boom boxes, playing instruments, dancing in the streets, dancing in social clubs. —Geraldo Cadava, The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2024

The photos of kids gathered around an open hydrant show up every year for a reason. —Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 24 Sep. 2024

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

Phrases Containing hydrant

• fire hydrant

Kids Definition

hydrant

noun

hy·​drant ˈhī-drənt 

: a pipe with a valve and spout at which water may be drawn from the main pipes