Hydraulically

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner that refers to the use of pressurized fluids to induce movement or perform tasks
2. In a way that indicates the functioning of systems driven by hydraulic pressure to generate motion
3. Using the force of fluid under pressure to operate or control machinery or mechanisms

Etymology: Hydraulically is a straightforward formation: the adjective "hydraulic" with the adverbial ending "-ally" attached. The adjective itself comes from Ancient Greek "hudraulikos," built from "hudōr" (water) and "aulos," a pipe or channel, so the original sense was something close to "working by water-pipes." The Greek term "hudraulis" named a water organ, an instrument in which water pressure forced air through pipes to produce sound, and the adjective was extended from that device to water-powered machinery. The Greek adjective passed into Latin as "hydraulicus" and then into French as "hydraulique," from which English took the adjective. Adding "-ally" turns it into an adverb describing how something is done: by means of pressurised liquid rather than by hand, gears or electricity. The "-ally" ending is itself a native English descendant of an Old English suffix meaning "in the manner of," which is why it attaches so readily to adjectives like this one.

Synonyms: fluidically