hydroponic

Back-formation from hydroponics. By surface analysis, hydro- (“water”) +‎ Ancient Greek πόνος (pónos, “work, labour”) +‎ -ic.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌhaɪdɹəˈpɒnɪk/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌhaɪdɹəˈpɑnɪk/, /ˌhaɪdɹoʊˈpɑnɪk/
• Rhymes: -ɒnɪk

hydroponic

1. (agriculture, horticulture) Of a plant; pertaining to or grown using hydroponics, a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions in water, without soil.

   Coordinate terms: aeroponic, geoponic, organoponic

   • 1991, Will Self, The Quantity Theory of Insanity:

     Sid was now living in a small commune in the Shetland Islands, where he and his fellow communards were dedicated to the growing of implausibly large hydroponic onions.

   • 1996, David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest […], Boston, Mass., New York, N.Y.: Little, Brown and Company, →ISBN, page 24:

     She had been offended because he had seen her every day for ten days, then when she’d finally obtained 50 grams of genetically enhanced hydroponic marijuana for him […]