noun
General term for something liquid or a drink. Can refer to water, juice, alcohol, etc.
この水物は冷たくて美味しい。
This drink is cold and delicious.
noun
food with high water content; sorbet or fruit in kaiseki
Specifically used in the context of kaiseki cuisine to refer to a dessert course with high water content, such as sorbet or fresh fruit.
See also: 懐石
懐石料理の最後に水物としてメロンが出た。
At the end of the kaiseki meal, melon was served as the water-rich dessert.
noun
gamble; uncertain affair; matter of chance
Figurative use: something unpredictable or risky, like a gamble. Often used in phrases like 水物だ (it's a gamble).
天気予報は水物だから、傘を持っていこう。
Weather forecasts are a gamble, so let's take an umbrella.