viscosity

[ vi-skos-i-tee ]
See synonyms for viscosity on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural vis·cos·i·ties.
  1. the state or quality of being viscous.

  2. Physics.

    • the property of a fluid that resists the force tending to cause the fluid to flow.

    • the measure of the extent to which a fluid possesses this property.

Origin of viscosity

1
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin viscōsitās, from Latin viscōs(us) viscous + -itās -ity

Other words from viscosity

  • hy·per·vis·cos·i·ty, noun

Words Nearby viscosity

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use viscosity in a sentence

  • The oil pressure will vary according to weather conditions and viscosity of oil used.

    Aviation Engines | Victor Wilfred Pag
  • By the old gravity systems, the flow of oil depended largely upon its viscosity, or thickness.

    The Gasoline Motor | Harold Whiting Slauson
  • A viscous precipitate forms which frequently loses its viscosity when heat is applied.

  • The effect on gelation is also illustrated by the change of viscosity of the sol with time.

    Animal Proteins | Hugh Garner Bennett
  • Both the suddenness of their formation and the slowness with which they widen are demonstrative of the non-viscosity of the ice.

British Dictionary definitions for viscosity

viscosity

/ (vɪsˈkɒsɪtɪ) /


nounplural -ties
  1. the state or property of being viscous

  2. physics

    • the extent to which a fluid resists a tendency to flow

    • Also called: absolute viscosity a measure of this resistance, equal to the tangential stress on a liquid undergoing streamline flow divided by its velocity gradient. It is measured in newton seconds per metre squared: Symbol: η See also kinematic viscosity, specific viscosity

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for viscosity

viscosity

[ vĭ-skŏsĭ-tē ]


  1. The resistance of a substance to flow. For example, water has a lower viscosity than molasses and flows more easily. Viscosity is related to the concept of shear force; it can be understood as the effect of different layers of the fluid exerting shearing force on each other, or on other surfaces, as they move against each other. Viscosity lies behind the skin friction component of drag.Kinematic viscosity is a measure of the rate at which momentum is transferred through a fluid. It is measured in stokes.Dynamic viscosity is a measure of the ratio of the stress on a region of a fluid to the rate of change of strain it undergoes. It is equal to the kinematic viscosity times the density of the fluid. It is measured in pascal-seconds or poises.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for viscosity

viscosity

[ (vis-kos-uh-tee) ]


The internal friction of a fluid, produced by the movement of its molecules against each other. Viscosity causes the fluid to resist flowing.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.