eau

See also: Eau, EAU, ÉAU, and -eau

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English ea, eo, from Old English ēa (“running water, water, stream, river”), from Proto-Germanic *ahwō (“waters, river”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ekʷeh₂ (“water, flowing water”). Compare English aqua. Compare ea, yeo. Related to, and spelling influenced by, but not derived from French eau (“water”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /juː/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Homophones: ewe, u, yew, you; hew, hue, Hugh (h-dropping)
• Rhymes: -əʊ

Noun

eau (plural eaus)

1. (Lincolnshire) Alternative form of ea.

Usage notes

• Present in several river names in Lincolnshire. See List of waterways in Lincolnshire

Related terms

• ea
• Eau
• yeo

See also

etymologically unrelated terms

• eau Créole
• eau de cologne
• eau de luce
• eau de nil
• eau de parfum
• eau de vie
• eau forte

Etymology 2

From French eau, from Middle French eau, eaue, from Old French ewe, euwe, egua (“water”), from Latin aqua (“water”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ekʷeh₂ (“water, flowing water”). Doublet of aqua.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /oʊ/

Noun

eau (uncountable)

1. Water.

References

• “eau”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2025), “eau”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
• “eau”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

Anagrams

• EUA, U.A.E., UAE, UEA, Uea