hydrotropism

noun

hy·​drot·​ro·​pism hī-ˈdrä-trə-ˌpi-zəm How to pronounce hydrotropism (audio) ˌhī-drə-ˈtrō-ˌpi-zəm How to pronounce hydrotropism (audio) -ˈträ- How to pronounce hydrotropism (audio)
: a tropism (as in plant roots) in which water or water vapor is the orienting factor
hydrotropic
ˌhī-drə-ˈtrō-pik How to pronounce hydrotropism (audio) -ˈträ- How to pronounce hydrotropism (audio)
adjective

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from German Hydrotropismus, from hydro- hydro- + -tropismus -tropism

First Known Use

circa 1882, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hydrotropism was circa 1882

Rhymes for hydrotropism

See All Rhymes for hydrotropism

Browse Nearby Words

hydrotropism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hydrotropism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrotropism. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

hydrotropism

noun
hy·​drot·​ro·​pism hī-ˈdrä-trə-ˌpiz-əm How to pronounce hydrotropism (audio)
: a tropism (as in plant roots) in which water or water vapor causes the movement
hydrotropic
ˌhī-drə-ˈtrō-pik How to pronounce hydrotropism (audio)
-ˈträp-ik
adjective

Medical Definition

hydrotropism

noun
hy·​dro·​tro·​pism hī-ˈdrä-trə-ˌpiz-əm; ˌhī-drə-ˈtrō-ˌpiz-əm How to pronounce hydrotropism (audio) -ˈträ- How to pronounce hydrotropism (audio)
: a tropism in which water or water vapor is the orienting factor

More from Merriam-Webster on hydrotropism

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hydrotropism

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
number-twelve-balloon
12-Letter Words Quiz A dozen words, a dozen letters each.
See All