Engineering English
Hydrograph
Civil Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: A hydrograph is a graph showing the rate of flow (discharge) versus time past a specific point in a river or channel. It represents the runoff response of a catchment to a rainfall event.
Example in context
“The hydrograph for the catchment showed a rapid rise and a slow recession following the intense storm.”
“Havzaya ait hidrograf, şiddetli fırtınanın ardından hızlı bir yükseliş ve yavaş bir çekilme gösterdi.”
Where engineers use it
Hydrographs are used in flood forecasting, reservoir operation, and designing hydraulic structures. Engineers analyze hydrograph components like peak flow and time to peak.
Synonyms: flow hydrograph, storm hydrograph
Practice: can you use “Hydrograph” at work?
Given rainfall data and catchment characteristics, estimate the unit hydrograph for a watershed to predict flood flows.
Show a model answer
“Plot the hydrograph for this storm event to determine the peak discharge.”
“Hydrograph” in 21 languages
| English | Hydrograph |
|---|---|
| Turkish | Hidrograf |
| French | Hydrogramme |
| German | Ganglinie |
| Spanish | Hidrograma |
| Chinese | 水文过程线 |
| Arabic | هيدروغراف |
| Portuguese | Hidrograma |
| Russian | Гидрограф |
| Japanese | ハイドログラフ |
| Italian | Idrogramma |
| Vietnamese | Đường quá trình thủy văn |
| Hindi | जलग्राफ़ |
| Thai | ไฮโดรกราฟ |
| Indonesian | Hidrograf |
| Korean | 수문곡선 |
| Bengali | হাইড্রোগ্রাফ |
| Dutch | Hydrogram |
| Swedish | Hydrograf |
| Finnish | Hydrografi |
| Ukrainian | Гідрограф |
Frequently asked questions
What does Hydrograph mean in engineering?
A hydrograph is a graph showing the rate of flow (discharge) versus time past a specific point in a river or channel. It represents the runoff response of a catchment to a rainfall event. In Civil Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Hydrograph?
Hydrograph is pronounced /ˈhaɪdrəɡræf/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Hydrograph used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “The hydrograph for the catchment showed a rapid rise and a slow recession following the intense storm.”
This entry is one of 7,806 terms in the Engineering English iOS app — with quizzes, spaced repetition and pronunciation checking.
Get the app on the App Store