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waterproof

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Etymology and origin of the English word waterproof

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
1661
Ultimate origins
Old English wæterianAnglo-Norman preove
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
English water
English waterproof
From the same root
English groundwater ← water
English waterfront ← water
English watershed ← water

Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˈwɔːtəˌpruːf/[1]
  • US: /ˈwɔt̬ɚˌpruf/, /ˈwɑ(ː)t̬ɚ-/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English water + proof,[2][3][4][5] the second part being the adjective proof, "impenetrable, able to resist", which is often used as the second element of compounds.[2][6][4] The OED compares the earlier waterfast and, for the main sense, fireproof, recorded from 1610.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Of a person, that cannot be drowned or otherwise harmed by water: 1661, a sense rare after the 17th century.[2]

Semantic evolution

The sense "impervious to water", of a thing, is first recorded in 1725,[2][3] and "not damaged or washed away by water" in 1736,[2] the date Merriam-Webster gives for the word;[4] the Shorter Oxford dates the adjective to the mid-18th century.[6] Figurative uses, such as "not given to tears" or "impervious to some outside influence", appear from 1797.[2] The noun is recorded from 1763, first for a waterproofing agent or waterproofed fabric,[2] then from 1799 for a garment of waterproof material,[3][4] now chiefly British for a raincoat.[7][4] The verb, "to make impervious to water", is from 1820 in the OED,[2] 1841 in Merriam-Webster[4] and 1843 in Etymonline;[3] in the United States it has also meant to teach a person, especially a child, to swim (1932).[2]

Timeline

  • 1661 – of a person, unable to be drowned (rare after the 17th century).[2]
  • 1725 – of a thing, impervious to water.[2][3]
  • 1736 – not damaged or washed away by water.[2][4]
  • 1763 – noun, a waterproofing agent or waterproofed fabric.[2]
  • 1797 – figurative, impervious to tears or outside influences.[2]
  • 1799 – noun, a waterproof garment.[3][4]
  • 1820 – verb, to make impervious to water.[2]
  • 1932 – verb, chiefly US, to teach someone to swim.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Not letting water through; impervious to water: a waterproof tent.[7][4][8]
  2. Treated or coated with rubber, plastic or another substance to keep water out.[8][4]
  3. Not damaged by water.[2][6]

Noun

  1. A waterproof material or fabric.[4][8]
  2. (chiefly British) A waterproof garment, especially a raincoat.[7][4][8]

Verb

  1. To make something waterproof: They waterproofed the basement walls.[7][4][8]

Word family

  • waterproofness
  • waterproofer

Usage notes

Collins contrasts waterproof, not penetrable by water at all, with the weaker water-repellent and water-resistant.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  6. ^ a b c Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  7. ^ a b c d e Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
  8. ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Cite this entry

“Waterproof.” Etymologically, 31 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/waterproof. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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