a. [f. FRESH a. + WATER sb.]
1. Of or pertaining to, yielding, produced by, or living in water that is fresh or not salt. Also, pertaining to an animal that lives in fresh water. So in names of fishes, as freshwater mussel, etc.
1528. Paynell, Salerne’s Regim., O iij. Vniuersally the best freshe water fyshe of the same sorte is hit that is taken in water stonye in the bottum.
1765. T. Hutchinson, Hist. Mass., I. v. 465. Having made holes in the ice, they would sit round them, upon their naked bottoms, catching pickrel, breams, pearch, and other freshwater fish.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), II. 160. A few years ago the propagation of animals without sexes would have been thought contradictory to experience: notwithstanding which many have been since persuaded of the fact by their own experiments, or other persons’ account concerning the fresh-water polypus.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), I. 49. Instead of supposing them to be the remains of animals belonging to the sea, I would consider them rather bred in the numerous fresh-water lakes that, in primæval times, covered the face of uncultivated Nature.
1798. Sporting Mag., XII. July, 183/2. This fish [The bull-head], on account of its ugliness, is in some places called the fresh-water devil.
1828. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. III. (1863), 82. ‘A thousand fresh-water flowers of several colours,’ making the bank as gay as a garden.
1863. Lyell, Antiq. Man, 142. Land and fresh-water shells, are common to both formations.
1875. Croll, Climate and Time, xxix. 485. If we suppose those in the western channel to be of freshwater origin, we may from analogy infer the same in reference to the origin of those in the eastern channel.
2. Unaccustomed to salt water, new to the sea.
1621. Crt. & Times Jas. I. (1849), II. 215. The French ambassador … being himself such a fresh-water sailor, that he rather chose to go by coach through all the foul ways, than take the benefit of the river to Gravesend.
1659. D. Pell, Impr. Sea, 515. Fresh-water travellers at Sea.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, I. i. You’re but a fresh Water Sailor.
1816. Keatinge, Trav. (1817), I. 26. A considerable deal of bustle usually occurs amongst the fresh-water sailors of these countries; and such was the ease at this time, in regard to shooting, as it is called, the Pont de St. Esprit.
† b. fig. Unpractised; unskilled; untrained; raw.
1579–80. North, Plutarch (1676), 232. [The storm] did marvellously trouble them, and specially those that were but fresh-water Souldiers, by reason of the terrible thunderclaps, and the noise the boysterous wind and haile made upon their harnesse.
1624. Crt. & Times Jas. I. (1849), II. 461. You may perceive what partiality hath been used, when some fresh-water soldiers are preferred to old servitors, and men of experience sent empty away.
1677. App. to Spottiswood’s Hist. Ch. Scotl., 15. The Tironenses, (as I conceive) are not a distinct Order of Monks, but rather young Novices, or fresh-water Monks.
1727. A. Hamilton, New Acc. E. Ind., I. xxvii. 338. The Portugueze Army was commanded by a Fidalgo, called Antonio de Figuera, a Freshwater Soldier, but a great Braggadocio.
1754. Fielding, Voy. to Lisbon, Wks. 1882, VII. 11. The contrary may be insinuated by ignorant, unlearned, and fresh-water critics, who have never traveled either in books or ships.
† 3. Fresh-water soldier, a name for the plant Stratiotes aloides (Gerard, Herball, 1597, II. ccxcix).
Hence † Fresh-watered a. = prec. 2 b.
1674. S. Vincent, Gallant’s Acad., Ep. Ded. A v b. Commanders will not disdain to instruct even a fresh-watered Souldier in the School-points of War.
