DCHP-1 Online

hydro [abbrev.]

• 1 n. hydro-electric power.

  See also: hydro power  

  • 1916  The product of Niagara, according to [Sir Adam] Beck, is Hydro-Electric--­familiarly abbreviated to Hydro. . . .
  • 1952  The cities of Alberta, also, have good sources of power, including coal, natural gas and hydro.
  • 1962  The advice to Nova Scotia's two major power companies [was] forget about hydro development.
  • 1964  The B.C. government has introduced safety valve legislation in case its hydro laws are repudiated by the courts.

• 2 n. electricity as a utility distributed by a power company or commission.

  • 1939  ". . . the telephone and hydro wires are down."
  • 1942  The sparkle left the streets of cities and towns in Ontario and Quebec Sunday night as new dim out regulations went into force and centres turned out all but essential lights in an effort to conserve hydro.
  • 1949  Claude wrote out the address . . . on the envelope of the hydro bill he'd forgotten to pay.
  • 1964  Added to these costs would be a minimum of $650 to $700 for winter berths, hydro and water service. . . .