Hydrostats

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An instrument that measures and indicates water pressure in various environments
2. A device used to monitor fluid levels or pressure for hydraulic systems
3. A gauge used to assess the behavior of liquids in engineering applications

Etymology: "Hydro-" comes from the Greek "hydor," meaning water, as in hydraulic and hydrogen. The second element, "-stat," comes from Greek "statos," meaning standing or stationary, from the verb "histanai," to cause to stand. Together they describe a device that holds water steady at a set level or pressure. The same "-stat" ending appears in thermostat, which holds temperature steady, and in other control devices built on the same pattern of a Greek prefix plus "-stat." The plural, hydrostats, simply adds the regular English "-s."