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amphipathic

[am-fuh-path-ik]
adjective Chemistry.
  1. (of a molecule) having two different affinities, as a polar end that is attracted to water and a nonpolar end that is repelled by it.
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Origin of amphipathic

First recorded in 1970–75; amphi- + -pathic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for amphipathic

amphipathic

amphipath (ˈæmfɪˌpæθ)

adjective
  1. chem biochem of or relating to a molecule that possesses both hydrophobic and hydrophilic elements, such as are found in detergents, or phospholipids of biological membranes
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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