hydro
gb/hˈaɪdɹoʊ/ us/hˈaɪdɹoʊ/
B2
English
~ 9800
áram, villany, vízenergia, vízerőmű, hidroponikus marihuána, hidroponikus fű, vízgyógyintézet
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
1
Usage pattern:
to pay [the] hydro bill
I forgot to pay the hydro bill this month.
Elfelejtettem befizetni a villanyszámlát ebben a hónapban.
The hydro went out during the storm and we had to use candles.
A vihar alatt elment az áram, és gyertyákat kellett használnunk.
Our hydro rates keep going up every year.
She called the hydro company to report the downed line.
Heat is included in the rent, but you pay your own hydro.
Learner examples
Our hydro was cut off because we did not pay.
Kikapcsolták nálunk az áramot, mert nem fizettünk.
We pay less for hydro in the summer.
Nyáron kevesebbet fizetünk az áramért.
The hydro bill comes every month.
The storm was so bad that the hydro went out.
He works for the local hydro company.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'hydro' to mean 'water' in general because of the Greek root, but in modern Canadian English it usually means 'electricity service' or 'the electricity bill'. Outside Canada, people normally say 'electricity' or 'power', not 'hydro'.
Meaning
electricity from the power company
Collocations
pay the hydro bill
|the hydro is out
|hydro rates
|hydro company
|on hydro
|hydro account
Synonyms
electricity (General term for electric power; does not carry the Canadian idea of billing and utility companies that 'hydro' often suggests.)
Antonyms
power outage (Refers to the absence or loss of electricity, the opposite of having hydro supplied.)
Themes
energy
|daily life
|housing
|daily_life
|technology
Definition
In Canadian English, the electricity that comes to your home or work from the power company, and the bill for it.
In Canadian English, the supply of electricity to homes and businesses, especially as provided and billed by a public hydroelectric utility.
NOUN
B2
2
vízenergia
B2
Usage pattern:
[place] relies on hydro for [something]
The country is investing heavily in hydro to cut carbon emissions.
Az ország jelentősen beruház a vízenergiába, hogy csökkentse a szén-dioxid-kibocsátást.
Hydro already supplies more than half of their electricity needs.
A vízenergia már a villamosenergia-szükségletük több mint felét fedezi.
Environmental groups argue that new hydro will damage the river ecosystem.
They are studying how climate change could affect future hydro output.
Hydro, solar, and wind are key parts of the region’s renewable energy mix.
Learner examples
This dam makes hydro for the whole city.
Ez a gát az egész városnak termel áramot vízenergiából.
The country wants more hydro and less coal.
Az ország több vízenergiát és kevesebb szenet akar.
Hydro is a clean source of energy.
They use hydro and wind to make power.
Many mountains and rivers make the area good for hydro.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'hydro' with 'water' in general and say things like *'we drink hydro'*. For energy, 'hydro' means electricity produced from water, not water itself.
Meaning
electric power from water
Collocations
hydro power
|hydro capacity
|invest in hydro
|hydro and wind
|hydro resources
|large-scale hydro
Synonyms
hydroelectricity (A more formal and technical term; means exactly the same type of energy.)
Antonyms
fossil fuel power (Electricity generated from coal, oil, or gas, contrasting with renewable hydro power.)
Themes
energy
|environment
|science
|technology
|nature
Definition
Electricity that is made by using the power of moving water, like rivers or dams.
Hydroelectric power as a type of energy, produced by using moving water to drive turbines that generate electricity.
NOUN
B2
3
vízerőmű
B2
Usage pattern:
to build [a] hydro on [a river]
The new hydro on the river will power 50,000 homes.
Az új folyami vízerőmű 50 000 otthont lát majd el árammal.
They converted an old mill into a small community hydro.
Egy régi malmot kis közösségi vízerőművé alakítottak át.
Local residents are protesting against the proposed hydro in the valley.
This remote town is supplied by a run-of-river hydro nearby.
Engineers inspected the dam and the hydro after the earthquake.
Learner examples
The government plans to build a new hydro.
A kormány új vízerőmű építését tervezi.
This hydro is the biggest in the country.
Ez a vízerőmű a legnagyobb az országban.
Many people work at the local hydro.
The river is strong enough for a small hydro.
The hydro sends power to the city.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with sense 2 and talk about 'building more hydro' when they mean building more dams or stations. In technical or formal writing, say 'hydroelectric plant' or 'hydroelectric station' for clarity.
Meaning
hydroelectric power station
Collocations
build a hydro
|small hydro
|run-of-river hydro
|hydro plant
|hydro project
|existing hydro
Synonyms
hydroelectric plant (Longer and more formal; clearly technical, while 'hydro' is often used in shorter, informal references.)
Antonyms
thermal power plant (A power station that burns fuel to make electricity, contrasting with a hydro plant that uses water.)
Themes
energy
|infrastructure
|engineering
|technology
|science
Definition
A power station where moving water turns machines to make electricity.
A hydroelectric power station or plant where moving water drives turbines to generate electricity.
NOUN
C1
SLANG
4
Usage pattern:
to smoke hydro
He bragged that his hydro was the strongest in town.
Azzal dicsekedett, hogy az ő hidroponikus füve a legerősebb a városban.
They only smoke hydro because they say it hits harder.
Ők csak hidroponikus füvet szívnak, mert szerintük jobban üt.
The police seized several plants and bags of hydro from the apartment.
This batch of hydro has a very strong smell.
Growing hydro indoors lets them control the light and nutrients.
Learner examples
They were arrested for selling hydro.
Hidroponikus marihuána árusítása miatt tartóztatták le őket.
He says the hydro is too strong for him.
Azt mondja, a hidroponikus fű túl erős neki.
Some people grow hydro inside their houses.
Hydro is a kind of marijuana grown in water.
The police found hydro plants in the garage.
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'hydro' always means 'water' or 'electricity'. In slang, especially in some English-speaking communities, 'hydro' can mean hydroponic cannabis. This meaning is informal and often illegal, so it should be used with caution.
Meaning
hydroponically grown cannabis
Collocations
smoke hydro
|sell hydro
|strong hydro
|high-grade hydro
|hydro buds
|grow hydro
Synonyms
weed (General slang for cannabis; 'hydro' is more specific, focusing on how it is grown and often implying higher strength.)
Antonyms
outdoor (In cannabis slang, refers to plants grown outside in soil, contrasting with indoor hydroponic 'hydro'.)
Themes
drugs
|slang
|youth culture
|health
Definition
In slang, marijuana that is grown in water with special food for the plants, not in soil.
In drug-related slang, cannabis that has been grown using hydroponic systems, often associated with high potency.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
5
Usage pattern:
to stay at [a] hydro
In the novel, she is sent to a seaside hydro to recover her strength.
A regényben egy tengerparti vízgyógyintézetbe küldik, hogy visszanyerje az erejét.
The town grew up around a nineteenth-century hydro that promised miracle cures.
A város egy 19. századi vízgyógyintézet körül nőtt ki, amely csodás gyógyulást ígért.
They renovated the old hydro and turned it into a luxury hotel.
Patients at the hydro followed a strict routine of baths and walks.
The brochure describes the property as a traditional Scottish hydro with modern facilities.
Learner examples
He went to a hydro to rest and get treatment.
Egy vízgyógyintézetbe ment pihenni és kezelésre.
The old hydro is now a modern hotel.
A régi vízgyógyintézet ma modern szálloda.
She spent two weeks at a hydro in the mountains.
People in the past visited hydros for water cures.
The doctor told him to try a hydro for his health.
Meaning
health spa for water treatments
Collocations
stay at the hydro
|sent to a hydro
|old hydros
|hydro hotel
|hydro treatments
|Victorian hydro
Synonyms
spa (More common modern word for a place offering wellness and water treatments; 'hydro' sounds old-fashioned or British literary.)
Antonyms
hospital (A general medical facility for all types of treatment, contrasting with a hydro, which focuses on water-based therapies and rest.)
Themes
health
|travel
|history
Definition
A special hotel or clinic where people get medical or health treatments that use water, like special baths.
A health resort, clinic, or spa where patients receive water-based treatments such as baths and showers for medical or wellness purposes.
Grammar
Dictionary form
hydro
IPA
GB/hˈaɪdɹoʊ/
US/hˈaɪdɹoʊ/
Syllables & stress
hy - dro (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (hy)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: hydro
- Plural: hydros
Word family
Forms
hydros
noun
Core family
hydroelectric
adjective
hydroelectricity
noun
hydropower
noun
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
dehydrate
verb
dehydration
noun
dehydrated
adjective
Advanced or less common
hydrology
noun
hydrologist
noun
hydrotherapy
noun
Expressions
grow hydro
1/ɡɹˈoʊ hˈaɪdɹoʊ/
fixed phrase
slang
grow cannabis hydroponically
In slang, to grow marijuana using water and special nutrients instead of soil.
Examples
- They were caught trying to grow hydro in the basement.
- He learned how to grow hydro from online forums.
- The police found equipment used to grow hydro inside the warehouse.
hydro bill
1/hˈaɪdɹoʊ bˈɪl/
fixed phrase
electricity bill from utility
In Canadian English, the bill you get for the electricity used in your home or business.
Examples
- Our hydro bill was much higher this winter because we used more heat.
- She split the rent and the hydro bill with her roommate.
- If you forget to pay your hydro bill, they can cut off your power.
hydro power
1/hˈaɪdɹoʊ pˈaʊɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
electric power from water
Electricity that is made by using the force of moving water, usually from rivers or dams.
Examples
- Hydro power plays a key role in the country’s renewable energy strategy.
- They are researching how climate change will affect future hydro power production.
- Many mountain regions have great potential for small-scale hydro power.
smoke hydro
1/smˈoʊk hˈaɪdɹoʊ/
fixed phrase
slang
smoke hydroponic cannabis
In slang, to smoke marijuana that was grown with hydroponic methods.
Examples
- They usually smoke hydro on the weekends.
- He said he doesn’t smoke hydro because it’s too strong for him.
- People at the party were smoking hydro in the backyard.