1. A transparent, colorless, odorless, and tasteless liquid found near the surface of the earth. In the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the earth, water is found as a gas, liquid, and solid. Water falls from the clouds as rain, hail, sleet, graupel, snow, etc. , and runs off and through soils to form creeks, streams, rivers, and lakes. In its solid form, it is referred to as ice or snow. Water as a liquid and as ice covers 70. 8% of the surface of the earth and plays a fundamental part in the earth–atmosphere energy balance. Water (chemical formula H₂O) corresponds to two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen on a molecular basis; by weight, water is 11. 19% hydrogen and 88. 81% oxygen. Water has a melting point of 0°C (32°F), a boiling point of 100°C (212°F), and a specific gravity of 1. 000 at 4°C (39°F), by definition. 2. Can refer to a body of water, such as a lake or a stream, or even a larger body of water such as a sea or part of an ocean, for example, international waters. 3. Used to describe water in specific locales; for example, hydrologists refer to soil water, surface water, and groundwater. 4. As a verb, used to describe irrigation corresponding to the application of water to plants, the grounds surrounding a residence, or to a garden.