Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.
| aber | an estuary. |
| abysm abyss | the deepest part of the ocean. |
| abyssal | relating to a large area of extremely flat ocean floor lying near a continent and generally over 4 km in depth. |
| anabranch | a stream that leaves a river and re-enters lower down > ANABRANCHES. |
| aphotic | lightless, esp as designating that part of the ocean not reached by sunlight. |
| aquafer aquifer | an underground reservoir of water which can be extracted for surface use. |
| aquatic | related to water; (noun) an organism living or growing in or near water > AQUATICS. |
| artesian | of a type of well in which water rises in a borehole by hydrostatic pressure from a basin whose outcrop is at a higher level. |
| backrush | the seaward return of water from a wave. |
| backwash | a receding wave. |
| backwater | any quiet or unfrequented stretch of water. |
| ballicatter | in Newfoundland, ice that forms along a shore from waves and freezing spray. |
| barachois barrasway | a shallow lagoon formed by a sandbar > BARACHOIS. |
| basinal | relating to a basin. |
| bathyal | pertaining to the zone of the sea from 600 feet down to the abyssal zone. |
| bathypelagic | of, relating to, or living in the depths of the ocean, especially between about 600 and 3,000 meters (2,000 and 10,000 feet). |
| bayfront | the shoreline of a bay. |
| bayside | the shore of a bay. |
| beck | a brook, a stream; (verb) to beckon > BECKS, BECKING, BECKED. |
| benthal benthic | relating to the deepest zone or region of the ocean. |
| benthon benthos | the flora and fauna of the ocean floor. |
| bight | 1. a bend in a coastline; also the body of water along such a curve; (verb) to fasten with a loop of rope > BIGHTS, BIGHTING, BIGHTED. |
| billabong | a dead-end channel; a stagnant backwater. |
| bogan | a quiet tributary or backwater. [Algonquin]. |
| bourn bourne | a small stream. |
| briming | phosphorence of the sea. N.B. no BRIME*. |
| briny | like brine > BRINIER, BRINIEST; (noun) the sea > BRINIES. |
| brook | a stream; (verb) to tolerate > BROOKS, BROOKING, BROOKED. |
| brooklet | a small brook. |
| brooklike | like a BROOK. |
| burn | (Scots) a stream, a brook. |
| burnie | (Scots) a small brook. |
| burnside | the side of a burn (stream). |
| cascade | a waterfall; (verb) to fall like a waterfall > CASCADES, CASCADING, CASCADED. |
| cataract | a waterfall. |
| channel | a strait or narrow sea; a navigable passage through a body of water; (verb) to make or direct through a channel > CHANNELS, CHANNELING or CHANNELLING, CHANNELED or CHANNELLED. |
| chresard | the total quantity of water in the soil available to plants > CHRESARDS. Cf. HOLARD, ECHARD. |
| confluence conflux | a flowing together, esp. of rivers. |
| confluent | a stream that flows into anotjer, usually of approximately equal size. |
| confluently | in the manner of a confluent. |
| cotidal | having high tide at the same time. |
| cowal | a shallow lake or swamp. |
| creek | a watercourse smaller than a river. |
| creekside | the area at the side of a creek. |
| creeky | containing, or abounding in, creeks > CREEKIER, CREEKIEST. |
| culch cultch | the flooring of an oyster-bed. |
| deadwater | still water without any currents. |
| decuman | a great wave, as every tenth wave was supposed to be. |
| deepwater | relating to the deep sea. |
| disembogue | to discharge or pour forth from the mouth (as from a river. |
| distributary | a branch of river that flows away from the main stream. |
| ditchwater | water found in a ditch. |
| ea | river. |
| eager | (noun) a river bore > EAGERS; (adj.) zealous > EAGERER, EAGEREST; EAGERLY. |
| eagre eger | an EAGER, a bore or sudden rise of the tide. |
| embogue | of a river, to discharge. Same as DISEMBOGUE. |
| epeiric | within the continental shelf. |
| epicontinental | denoting a shallow sea that forms over a continental shelf. |
| epilimnion | the upper, warm layer of water in a lake > EPILIMNIONS or EPILIMNIA. |
| estuarial estuarian estuarine | of or relating to an ESTUARY. |
| estuary | the wide end of a river when it meets the sea. |
| euphotic | pertaining to the upper layer of a body of water. |
| euripus | an arm of the sea with strong currents, spec. that between Euboea and Boeotia in classical Greece > EURIPI or EURIPUSES. |
| eustacy eustasy | a uniform global change in sea level. |
| fishpond | a pond abounding in edible fish. |
| flatwater | slowly moving water in a river, as opposed to rapids. |
| floatbase | a place on a river, lake, etc. where float planes dock. |
| floodmark | the mark or line to which a flood or tide has risen. |
| floodtide | the flowing in of the tide. |
| flote | a wave. |
| fluvial fluviatic fluviatile | belonging or relating to rivers or streams. |
| fount | a fountain, a spring. |
| fountain | a spring of water; (verb) to spring up or gush, as from a fountain > FOUNTAINS, FOUNTAINING, FOUNTAINED. |
| fountful | full of springs. |
| freshet | a sudden overflow of a stream; fresh water stream meeting salt water. |
| freshwater | fresh water, not salt. |
| gnamma namma | as in gnamma hole, an Australian term for a natural well in rock. |
| growler | an iceberg. |
| gulf gulph | a large indentation in the coast, the area of sea enclosed by it. |
| gulfy | full of whirlpools or gulfs. |
| gurge | a whirlpool; (verb) to swirl > GURGES, GURGING, GURGED. |
| hadal | of, relating to or being parts of the ocean below 6000 meters, below ABYSSAL. |
| haff | a lagoon separated from sea by a long sand-bar. [Ger. Haff, bay]. |
| halocline | a vertical gradient in ocean salinity. |
| harbourside | the area next to a harbour. |
| headpond | a pond created behind a dam. |
| headstream | the stream forming the highest, most remote source of a river. |
| headwater | the highest part of a stream or river before receiving tributaries. |
| holard | the total quantity of water in the soil. Cf. ECHARD, CHRESARD. |
| holme | an island in a river. |
| horsepond | a pond for horses to drink from. |
| hydrograph | a graph of variation of stream flow over time. |
| hydrographic | relating to HYDROGRAPHY, the study of bodies of water. |
| hydrography | the study of bodies of water. |
| hydrology | the study of water resources. |
| hydrosphere | the water of the earth. |
| hypolimnion | the layer of water in a thermally stratified lake that lies below the thermocline, is noncirculating, and remains perpetually cold > HYPOLIMNIONS or HYPOLIMNIA. |
| iceberg | a large floating body of ice. |
| icebound | surrounded by ice. |
| icepack | drifting ice packed together, pack ice. |
| influent | a stream (esp. a tributary) which flows into another stream or a lake. |
| isobath | a line connecting points of equal underwater depth. |
| isobathic | relating to ISOBATHS, contour lines connecting points of equal underwater depth. |
| katabothron katavothron | an underground water channel. |
| lacustrine | relating to lakes. |
| lagoon laguna lagune | the stretch of water within an atoll or inside a barrier reef. |
| lagoonal | of or like a LAGOON. |
| lake | a large or considerable body of water enclosed by land; (verb) to sport or play > LAKES, LAKING, LAKED. |
| lakebed | the bed of a lake. |
| lakefill | an area of land built by filling lake. |
| lakehead | the shore of a lake further from the outlet. |
| lakelet | a small lake. |
| lakelike | resembling a lake. |
| lakeport | a port in a lake. |
| lakeshore | the shore of a lake. |
| lakeside | the area beside a lake. |
| lakish | like a lake. |
| laky | containing lakes > LAKIER, LAKIEST. |
| landwash | the shore area between the high-water mark and the sea. |
| limnologist | one who studies LIMNOLOGY, the study of bodies of fresh water. |
| limnology | the study of bodies of fresh water. |
| lin linn | a waterfall. |
| loch | (Scots) a lake. |
| lochan | a small lake; a pond. |
| longshore | existing on, frequenting, or directed along a shore; found or employed along a shore. |
| lough | a lake. |
| maelstrom | a powerful whirlpool. |
| meander | a sharp bend, loop or turn in a stream's course; (verb) to wind about in a circuitous course > MEANDERS, MEANDERING, MEANDERED. |
| meltwater | the water that runs off from snowfields or glaciers. |
| mickery | in Australia, a well or waterhole, esp in a dry riverbed. |
| midlittoral | that part of the seashore that lies between high and low neap tidemarks. |
| mudbank | a sloping area of mud alongside a body of water. |
| namma | see GNAMMA. |
| neap | the tidal period of least difference between high and low tides; (verb) to tend towards the neap > NEAPS, NEAPING, NEAPED. |
| nearshore | extending outward an indefinite but usu. short distance from the shore. |
| neritic | belonging to the shallow waters near land. |
| nontidal | not tidal. |
| nyanza | in Africa, a lake. |
| obsequent | flowing in a contrary direction to the original slope of the land, parallel to the consequent and perpendicular to the subsequent streams. |
| ocean | the vast body of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface. |
| oceanic | of or like an ocean. |
| oceanside | situated beside the ocean. |
| oceanward | in the direction of the ocean. |
| ostial | relating to an OSTIUM, the mouth of a river or a mouth-like opening. |
| ostium | the mouth of a river; a mouth-like opening > OSTIA. |
| outfall | the outlet of a river, drain etc. |
| overbank | a stage of a river where it overflows its bank. |
| pelagial | of or pertaining to the sea; pelagic; (noun) an open body of water > PELAGIALS. |
| pelagian | of or pertaining to the sea; (noun) an inhabitant of the open sea. |
| pelagic | living in the open sea; (noun) an inhabitant of the open sea > PELAGICS. Cf. BENTHIC, confined to the depths of the sea. |
| phreatic | relating to underground water supplying, or probably able to supply, wells or springs. |
| plashet | a small pond or pool; a puddle. |
| pokelogan | a BOGAN, a quiet tributary or backwater. |
| polynia | an area of open water amidst sea ice, as in the Arctic > POLYNIAS. |
| polynya | an area of open water amidst sea ice, as in the Arctic > POLYNYI or POLYNYAS. |
| pond | a small, usually artifical lake; (verb) to make into a pond > PONDS, PONDING, PONDED. |
| potamic | of or relating to rivers. [Gk. potamos, river]. |
| potamology | the study of rivers. |
| prograde | to advance seaward because of a build-up of sediment > PROGRADES, PROGRADING, PROGRADED. |
| refluent | flowing back; ebbing; tidal. |
| reliction | the recession of the sea leaving bare land. |
| rill | a very small brook; (verb) to flow in a rill or rills > RILLS, RILLING, RILLED. |
| rillet | a little rill. |
| riparial | relating to or inhabiting a river-bank; (noun) an inhabitant of a river bank. |
| riparian | relating to or inhabiting a river-bank; (noun) one owning land along a river-bank. |
| ripplet | a small ripple. |
| riptide | a tide that opposes other tides. |
| river | a large, natural stream of water. |
| riverbed | the area covered or once covered by a river. |
| rivered | supplied with RIVERS; as, a well rivered country. |
| riveret | a small river, a rivulet. |
| riverhead | the source of a river. |
| riverine | pertaining to a river, located on the banks of a river. |
| riverless | without rivers. |
| riverlike | like a river. |
| rivery | like a river; full of rivers > RIVERIER, RIVERIEST. |
| rivulet | a small stream. |
| rockwater | water issuing from a rock. |
| runlet | a little run or stream; a streamlet; a brook. |
| runnel | a little brook. |
| saltchuck | in Canada, a body of salt water. |
| saltwater | water that contains salt. |
| sea | a great expanse of water. |
| seabed | the bottom of the sea. |
| seafloor | the bottom of the sea. |
| seafront | an area along the edge of the sea. |
| seagirt | surrounded by sea. |
| seaquake | a quaking of the sea. |
| seawater | water from the sea. |
| seiche | a rocking movement of the surface of a lake or inland sea. |
| shelfy | abounding in shelfs or dangerous shallows > SHELFIER, SHELFIEST. |
| shelvy | having sandbanks, overhanging > SHELVIER, SHELVIEST. |
| shoaliness | the state of being SHOALY. |
| shoaly | having shoals > SHOALIER, SHOALIEST. |
| shore | the land bordering the sea. |
| shoreless | without a shore. |
| sike syke | a rill or small ditch. |
| slatch | an area of quiet water between two breaking waves in ocean. |
| sloot sluit | in S. Africa, a narrow water-channel: SLUITS. |
| sny snye | a natural channel bypassing rapids or body of river > SNIES, SNYES. |
| spait spate speat | a flood, a surge. |
| springlet | a little spring. |
| spruit | a small stream flowing only in the wet season. |
| spumy | like spume > SPUMIER, SPUMIEST. |
| stank | a ditch, a pool; (verb) to dam > STANKS, STANKING, STANKED. |
| stewpond | a fish pond; a fish tank. |
| stream | a small river; (verb) to flow in a steady current > STREAMS, STREAMING, STREAMED. |
| streambed | the bed of a stream. |
| streaminess | the state of being STREAMY. |
| streamless | destitute of streams, or of a stream, as a region of country, or a dry channel. |
| streamlet | a small stream. |
| streamling | a small stream. |
| streamy | abounding with streams > STREAMIER, STREAMIEST. |
| subbasin | a subdivision of a (river) basin. |
| subocean | beneath the ocean. |
| subsea | situated below the surface of the sea. |
| subtidal | below the level of the tide. |
| sunker | a ridge of rock near the surface of the sea. |
| superwave | a exceptionally large wave. |
| surf | surging water or waves rushing up a sloping beach; sea foam; (verb) to bathe in or ride on surf > SURFS, SURFING, SURFED. |
| surflike | like surf. |
| surfy | like surf > SURFIER, SURFIEST. |
| swallet | a place where water disappears underground, aka swallow hole. |
| sweetwater | freshwater. |
| swelchie | in the Orkneys, a whirlpool; a tidal race. [ON svelgr, to swallow]. |
| syke | see SIKE. |
| tarn | a lake in the bedrock basin of a CIRQUE. |
| thalassic | marine; of the seas, esp those which are small or inland. |
| thermohaline | involving both temperature and salinity. |
| thrutch | (N. Eng. dialect) a narrow fast moving stream; (verb) to thrust, shove. |
| tidal | pertaining to the tides > TIDALLY. |
| tide | the rise and fall of the ocean's waters; (verb) to flow like the tide > TIDES, TIDING, TIDED. |
| tideless | having no tide. |
| tidelike | like a tide. |
| tideline | the edge of the tide. |
| tidemark | the mark left by the tide. |
| tiderip | disturbed sea due to currents. |
| tidewater | water brought by the tide. |
| tidewave | the tide regarded as a wave passing round the earth. |
| tideway | a channel in which the tide sets. |
| torrent | a rapid stream of water. |
| tributariness | the state of being TRIBUTARY. |
| tributary | a river that joins another river. |
| tsunami | a great sea wave produced by submarine earth movement or volcanic eruption. |
| tsunamic | relating to a TSUNAMI, a great sea wave produced by submarine earth movement or volcanic eruption. |
| turbidite | the sediment deposited by a turbidity current. |
| turlough | a pond that dries up in summer. |
| underseas | below the sea. |
| undertow | an undercurrent opposed to the surface current; the recoil or back-draught of a wave. |
| upriver | up the river; (noun) an area lying towards the source of a river. |
| vadose | of or relating to underground water above the water table. |
| vorago | a gulf > VORAGOES or VORAGOS. |
| waterfall | a fall or perpendicular descent of a body of water. |
| waterhead | the source of a river. |
| waterhole | a hollow or depression in which water collects. |
| waterquake | a seismic disturbance affecting the sea. |
| watershed | the area which a river and its tributaries drain. |
| watersmeet | the confluence of two streams. |
| waterspout | a disturbance at sea like a very small tornado, a revolving column of cloud, mist or spray. |
| wavelet | a small wave. |
| weedbed | an area of a body of water having lots of weeds. |
| weedline | the edge of a WEEDBED. |
| weel weil wiel | a whirlpool. |
| wellhead | the place at which a spring breaks out of the ground. |
| whirlpool | a circular current in a river or sea, produced by opposing tides, winds or currents. |
| whitecap | a wave with a white crest. |
| whitewater | referring to a stretch of water with a broken foamy surface, as in rapids. No —S. |
| wiel | see WEEL. |
| winterbourne | an intermittent spring of water. |