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 red car that blocked the hydrant belongs to a 27-year-old woman who later turned up at the scene with a 6-year-old child. —Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2025

Citizens are urged to contact the city with information, including photos, of those possibly misusing the hydrants. —Chuck Rupnow, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2025

Water pressure dropped, and the hydrants could not keep up with demand across the community to extinguish home after home. —Heather Knight, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025

The fires themselves contributed to the decline in pressure to hydrants, because as buildings burned, their internal water systems failed, spewing water into the streets. —Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2025

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