hydraulics

noun

hy·​drau·​lics hī-ˈdrȯ-liks 

plural in form but singular in construction

: a branch of science that deals with practical applications (such as the transmission of energy or the effects of flow) of liquid (such as water) in motion

Examples of hydraulics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But snowplows were paralyzed in the cold, with the freezing temperatures turning the diesel fuel and hydraulics into gel, the tribe said. —Heather Hollingsworth, Fortune, 24 Jan. 2023

Deputy District Attorney Julian Samuels asked Ramras to waive all fines and fees, saying that Rockhill was working full time at a hydraulics maintenance business to care for his ailing mother. —oregonlive, 15 Dec. 2022

But unlike others, which often operate using hydraulics, this robot uses flexible magnetic materials, called ferromagnetic domains, to move around. —Jennifer Walter, Discover Magazine, 28 Aug. 2019

As in the old e-tron, the braking is entirely by-wire, and there's no physical connection between the brake pedal and the hydraulics. —Tony Quiroga, Car and Driver, 18 Dec. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

hydraulics

noun

hy·​drau·​lics hī-ˈdrȯ-liks 

: a science that deals with uses of liquid (as water) in motion

Medical Definition

hydraulics

noun, plural in form but singular in construction

hy·​drau·​lics hī-ˈdrȯ-liks 

: a branch of science that deals with practical applications (as the transmission of energy or the effects of flow) of liquid (as water) in motion

hydraulic

-lik 

adjective