freshwater

/'freʃ,wɔ:tə/

Thân thiện

A family enjoys a picnic by a freshwater lake.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Water that is not salty: Water found in rivers, lakes, streams, and ponds, as opposed to the saltwater of seas and oceans.

Usage

• The word "freshwater" is primarily used as a noun to describe a type of water body or habitat.
• It is often used attributively (like an adjective) before other nouns to describe things that live in or are related to non-saline water.

Examples

• Noun:

  • The lake is a vital source of freshwater for the region.
  • Many cities rely on freshwater reservoirs for their drinking supply.

• Attributive Use (Noun used to modify another noun):

  • The aquarium specializes in freshwater fish.
  • Pollution is a major threat to freshwater ecosystems.

Advanced Usage

• "freshwater" as an attributive noun: Commonly used in scientific and environmental contexts to categorize species, habitats, or resources.
  • The study focused on freshwater mollusks.
  • We need better policies for freshwater management.

Variants and Related Words

• Fresh water (noun phrase): An alternative spelling, often used to mean the same thing. (e.g., ).
• Freshwater (adjective): While primarily a noun, its frequent attributive use blurs into adjectival function, meaning "of or living in fresh water." (e.g., ).

Synonyms

• Sweet water (less common, poetic/archaic): Non-salty water.
• Potable water: Specifically means water safe for drinking, which is typically freshwater.

Antonyms

• Saltwater: Water containing a high concentration of dissolved salts, especially sodium chloride (e.g., seawater).
• Brine: Water saturated or nearly saturated with salt.

Related Phrases and Compounds

• Freshwater biology: The scientific study of ecosystems and organisms in freshwater.
• Freshwater pearl: A pearl formed within a freshwater mollusk.

Học thuật

Noun

1. water that is not salty

Từ đồng nghĩa

• fresh water