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critical state

noun Physics.

the state of a pure element or compound when it is at a critical point.

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Nearby words

  1. critical period,
  2. critical point,
  3. critical pressure,
  4. critical ratio,
  5. critical region,
  6. critical temperature,
  7. critical thinking,
  8. critical value,
  9. critical volume,
  10. criticality

Origin of critical state

First recorded in 1895–1900
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for critical state

critical state

noun

the state of a substance in which two of its phases have the same temperature, pressure, and volumeAlso called: critical point
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
Science definitions for critical state

critical state

The state of matter of a substance at its critical point.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.