Hydraulics

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hydraulics \Hy*drau"lics\, n. [Cf. F. hydraulique.]
     That branch of science, or of engineering, which treats of
     fluids in motion, especially of water, its action in rivers
     and canals, the works and machinery for conducting or raising
     it, its use as a prime mover, and the like.
     [1913 Webster]


  
     Note: As a science, hydraulics includes hydrodynamics, or the
           principles of mechanics applicable to the motion of
           water; as a branch of engineering, it consists in the
           practical application of the mechanics of fluids to the
           control and management of water with reference to the
           wants of man, including canals, waterworks, hydraulic
           machines, pumps, water wheels, etc. Some writers treat
           hydraulics and hydrostatics as subdivisions of
           hydrodynamics.
           [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Mechanics \Me*chan"ics\, n. [Cf. F. m['e]canique.]
     That science, or branch of applied mathematics, which treats
     of the action of forces on bodies.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: That part of mechanics which considers the action of
           forces in producing rest or equilibrium is called
           {statics}; that which relates to such action in
           producing motion is called {dynamics}. The term
           mechanics includes the action of forces on all bodies,
           whether solid, liquid, or gaseous. It is sometimes,
           however, and formerly was often, used distinctively of
           solid bodies only: The mechanics of liquid bodies is
           called also {hydrostatics}, or {hydrodynamics},
           according as the laws of rest or of motion are
           considered. The mechanics of gaseous bodies is called
           also {pneumatics}. The mechanics of fluids in motion,
           with special reference to the methods of obtaining from
           them useful results, constitutes {hydraulics}.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     {Animal mechanics} (Physiol.), that portion of physiology
        which has for its object the investigation of the laws of
        equilibrium and motion in the animal body. The most
        important mechanical principle is that of the lever, the
        bones forming the arms of the levers, the contractile
        muscles the power, the joints the fulcra or points of
        support, while the weight of the body or of the individual
        limbs constitutes the weight or resistance.
  
     {Applied mechanics}, the principles of abstract mechanics
        applied to human art; also, the practical application of
        the laws of matter and motion to the construction of
        machines and structures of all kinds.
  
     {orbital mechanics}, the principles governing the motion of
        bodies in orbit around other bodies under gravitational
        influence, such as artificial Earth satellites.
        [1913 Webster +PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  hydraulics
       n : study of the mechanics of fluids [syn: {fluid mechanics}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  24 Moby Thesaurus words for "hydraulics":
     beverage, blood, drink, fluid, fluid extract, fluid mechanics,
     fluidics, hydrodynamics, hydrogeology, hydrography, hydrology,
     hydromechanics, hydrometry, hydrostatics, juice, latex, liquid,
     liquid extract, liquor, milk, sap, semiliquid, water, whey