waters

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of water.

   The vessel crossed into international waters shortly after midnight.

   Murky waters made the diving search slow and dangerous.

   Note

   The plural that names stretches of water rather than amounts: international waters, coastal waters, territorial waters, where the mass noun water would not fit. It also counts servings, so a table can order three waters. The two uses rarely collide in practice, because one belongs to maps and law and the other to cafés and restaurants.

2. 2
   noun

   The amniotic fluid surrounding a fetus in the womb, especially as released when the membrane ruptures before birth.

   Her waters broke during dinner, and labor began within the hour.

   The doctor noted that the waters were clear, a reassuring sign.

   Note

   One fluid spoken of in the plural, with a plural verb to match: her waters break, the waters were clear. The phrase almost always appears with a possessive and the verb break, as a fixed way of announcing that labor is starting. The singular water names the same fluid, so both forms are correct, and the plural is the one that has hardened into the idiom.

3. 3
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of water.

   Every morning she waters the tomato seedlings before breakfast.

   The system automatically waters the lawn at dawn.

   Note

   A verb form spelled exactly like the noun plural. A subject before it marks the verb (she waters the garden), and a determiner marks the noun (the waters rose). Most uses take an object: one waters seedlings, waters horses, or waters a drink to dilute it. The meaning "takes in water" stands alone with no object.

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