aquatic

• aquatick (obsolete)

Borrowed from Middle French aquatique (“living in water”), from Latin aquaticus (“relating to water”), from aqua (“water”).

• (General American) IPA^(key): /əˈkwɑ.tɪk/, /əˈkwæ.tɪk/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˈkwæ.tɪk/, /əˈkwɒ.tɪk/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ɘˈkwɔ.tɘk/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

  Rhymes: -ɒtɪk

The pronunciations with a back vowel are more recent and reflect a long-established tendency to round a historic short-a after /w/.^[1]

aquatic (comparative more aquatic, superlative most aquatic)

1. Relating to water; living in or near water, taking place in water.

• waterly

• marine
• freshwater, limnic

• terrestrial

• aquativeness (obscure, obsolete)

aquatic (plural aquatics)

1. Any aquatic plant.
   • 1835, Benjamin Maund, The Botanic Garden:

     In such a cistern the present and other hardy aquatics may be grown with success.