aqua-, aquatic-, aqui-, aqu-, -aquatically, aque-, -aqueous

(Latin: water, watery solution)

aquagenic pruritus (s) (noun)
1. A skin disease characterized by the development of severe, prickling-like epidermal discomfort which is without observable skin lesions and that is evoked by contact with water at any temperature.
2. An intense itching that is the result of brief contact with water of any temperature, but which does not produce any visible changes in the skin.
aqualung (s) (noun), aqualungs (pl)
1. A trademark name used for an underwater breathing apparatus.
2. A device (trade name Aqua-Lung) that lets divers breathe under water; scuba is an acronym for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.
aquamarine (adjective)
A pale blue to light greenish blue color.
aquamarine (s) (noun), aquamarines (pl)
1. The greenish color of sea water: The tint of aquamarine of the Pacific Ocean stunned all the visitors on board the ferry boat.
2. A transparent blue-green variety of beryl, used as a gemstone: At the museum, Time viewed a crown that was set with aquamarines and must have been worth a fortune!
aquametry (s) (noun)
Analytical procedures; such as, oven drying, distillation, or Karl Fischer titration, used to measure the quantity of water present in materials.

A measured amount of a solution of unknown concentration is added to a known volume of a second solution until the reaction between them is complete; the concentration of the unknown solution (the titer) can them be calculated.

A Karl Flischer technique is the titration of a sample with a solution of iodine, pyridine, methanol, and sulfur dioxide which are used to determine trace quantities of water in a sample. The end point is indicated by yellowish color change.

aquanaut (s) (noun), aquanauts (pl)
1. Somebody with training and equipment to spend long periods working or swimming underwater.
2. Undersea explorers; especially, those who skin-dive from or who live for an extended period of time in a submerged dwelling.
aquaphobia (s) (noun), aquaphobias (pl)
An irrational fear of water that is related to an abnormal dread of drowning and of death: Some people who suffer from aquaphobias are afraid of wading in a river or lake and having their faces and noses wet, and when this happens, they have a rapid heartbeat and breathe faster, often inhaling the clear and colorless liquid, which further increases their anxiety.
aquaphobic (s) (adjective), more aquaphobic, most aquaphobic
A reference to an individual who is abnormally afraid of water: Most aquaphobic people are concerned that the clear liquid which is emitted from the faucet is not as safe to drink as the special kind in bottles.
aquaplane (s) (noun), aquaplanes (pl)
1. A board pulled over the water by a motorboat and ridden by a person standing up.
2. Water-skiing boards on which people stand while they are being towed by a motorboat.
aquaplane (verb), aquaplanes; aquaplaned; aquaplaning
1. To stand on an aquaplane and to move across the surface of water; usually, by being towed by a motor boat."
2. With reference to cars, to rise up onto a thin film of water between the tires and the road so that there is no more contact with the road or street.

In other words, if a motor vehicle aquaplanes, it is sliding out of control or skimming uncontrollably on a thin film of water on a wet road.

Aquapolis (s) (noun), Aquapoleis (pl)
1. City, or cities, near the water; or water city.
2. A name given to several projects of cities on and under the water: "The name of 'The 8th Wonder of the world is the Aquapolis, the world's first undersea hotel and resort complex'."

"The Aquapolis Hotel says that it will 'hoast over 500 rooms, all of which will have an ocean view' (below the surface) and it is located at Mykonos, Cydades Islands, Greece."

aquaponics (pl) (used as a singular) (noun)
Another term for hydroponics or the cultivation of plants in a nutrient solution (water) rather than in soil.
aquapontic (adjective)
A reference to the cultivation of plants in nutrient solutions instead of the ground.

Aquaponic systems contain three parts: fish to produce ammonia, bacteria to break the ammonia down to nitrates, and plants to feed on the nitrates to create fishfood to start the cycle all over again.

A mini aquaponics system is an excellent means of demonstrating aquaponic principles and the nitrification cycle in a recirculating aquatic environment.

aquapontics (pl) (used in the singular) (noun)
1. The integration of aquaculture and hydroponics.

An aquaculture is used to continuously generate a nutrient-rich solution to feed a hydroponic garden. Aquaponic systems can be used to duplicate controlled wetland conditions that are useful for reclaiming potable water from typical household sewage, in addition to generating a continual supply of food with minimal fertilizer use.

2. The integration of hydroponics (growing plants without soil) and aquaculture (the cultivation of the natural produce of water such as fish or shellfish).

Aquaponic systems combine the best of both worlds. Fish are raised in one area and the plants in another. The waste from the fish is pumped into a holding area where it is usually treated with bacterial agents that help break it down. Then the treated waste is pumped in the plant area to be used as fertilizer for growing. The used water is pumped from the plant area back to the fish.

aquaporin (s) (noun), aquaporins (pl)
1. A water channel.
2. Any of a family of proteins found in the plasma membranes of plant and animal cells and forming a functional component of water channels.

Aquaporins form pores in the membranes of cells and selectively conduct water molecules through the membrane, while preventing the passage of ions (such as sodium and potassium) and other small molecules.

Aquaporins are typically composed of identical subunit proteins. Water molecules traverse the narrowest portion of the water channel in single file. The presence of water channels increases the permeability of membranes to water by as much as ten-fold.

Aquaporins keep people from dying of dehydration by reabsorbing 99% of the water in the kidneys.

Cross references of word families that refer to "water": hydat-; hydro-; hygro-.