water-hostile
|wa-ter-hos-tile|
🇺🇸
/ˈwɔtərˌhɑstəl/
🇬🇧
/ˈwɔːtəˈhɒstaɪl/
repel or be harmful to water
Etymology
'water-hostile' originates from Modern English as a compound of 'water' + 'hostile', combining the noun 'water' and the adjective 'hostile' to mean 'hostile to water'.
'water' comes from Old English 'wæter' (related to German 'Wasser'), and 'hostile' comes from Latin 'hostilis' via Old French 'hostile' and Middle English 'hostile'; these elements were combined in Modern English to form the compound 'water-hostile'.
Individually, 'water' originally named the liquid and 'hostile' originally meant 'of an enemy'; in compounds like 'water-hostile' 'hostile' has been extended to mean 'repelling' or 'harmful to' rather than literal enmity.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
repelling or resisting water; not allowing water to wet or penetrate (often used of surfaces or coatings).
The new exterior finish is water-hostile, so rain beads and runs off quickly.
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Adjective 2
unfavorable or hostile to the presence or survival of water (used for environments, conditions, or contexts where water is harmful or scarce).
Geologists described the cave as water-hostile due to high mineral acidity that prevents standing water.
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Last updated: 2025/10/15 16:33