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emulsion

American  
[ih-muhl-shuhn] / ɪˈmʌl ʃən /

noun

  1. Physical Chemistry. any colloidal suspension of a liquid in another liquid.

  2. such a suspension used in cosmetics.

  3. Pharmacology. a liquid preparation consisting of two completely immiscible liquids, one of which, as minute globules coated by a gum or other mucilaginous substance, is dispersed throughout the other: used as a means of making a medicine palatable.

  4. Photography. a composition sensitive to some or all of the actinic rays of light, consisting of one or more of the silver halides suspended in gelatin, applied in a thin layer to one surface of a film or the like.

emulsion British  
/ ɪˈmʌlʃən /

noun

  1. photog a light-sensitive coating on a base, such as paper or film, consisting of fine grains of silver bromide suspended in gelatine

  2. chem a colloid in which both phases are liquids

    an oil-in-water emulsion

  3. Also called: emulsion paint.  a type of paint in which the pigment is suspended in a vehicle, usually a synthetic resin, that is dispersed in water as an emulsion. It usually gives a mat finish

  4. pharmacol a mixture in which an oily medicine is dispersed in another liquid

  5. any liquid resembling milk

"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
emulsion Scientific  
/ ĭ-mŭl′shən /

  1. A suspension of tiny droplets of one liquid in a second liquid. By making an emulsion, one can mix two liquids that ordinarily do not mix well, such as oil and water.

  2. Compare aerosol foam

Usage

What does emulsion mean? An emulsion is a mixture of two liquids that don’t fully combine. An emulsion may look like a single liquid, but it’s made up of particles of one liquid distributed throughout another liquid.For example, if you whisk together oil and water, it forms an emulsion in which small droplets of oil are suspended in the water, but the two liquids aren’t fully blended together (as they would be if you stirred together water and vinegar, for example).In technical chemistry terms, an emulsion is a colloidal suspension in which the substances mixed together are both liquids. Both colloids and suspensions involve particles of one substance distributed in another without being dissolved.The word emulsion is used in a variety of contexts, including pharmacology, cooking, and photography.In cooking, emulsions are made by blending two liquids or liquid-like ingredients into a smooth consistency. Salad dressings called vinaigrettes are typically emulsions of oil and vinegar.The word emulsion is used in a more specific way in photography to refer to a light-sensitive coating (consisting of a chemical suspended in gelatine) that’s applied to paper or film.The verb emulsify means to form an emulsion.Example: To properly make an emulsion of oil and vinegar, you have to whisk very hard to separate the oil into tiny droplets, or else the two liquids will separate.

Other Word Forms

  • emulsive adjective

Etymology

Origin of emulsion

1605–15; < New Latin ēmulsiōn- (stem of ēmulsiō ), equivalent to Latin ēmuls ( us ) milked out ( ē- e- 1 + mulsus, past participle of mulgēre to milk) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But if you’re aiming for the silky-smooth texture of a perfect emulsion, you’ve already missed your window.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2025

The paint from i2Cool does not contain heavy metals and uses a water-based emulsion, and while it is not biodegradable, it can be recycled, says Dr Zhu.

From BBC • Oct. 31, 2024

The experimental emulsion may have worked better than the commercial emulsion because it was absorbed into the animals' bloodstream two times faster.

From Science Daily • Jun. 6, 2024

Because organic fertilizers like fish emulsion have very low concentrations of nitrogen and other elements, he recommends a monthly application of a water-soluble food labeled with a 20-20-20 NPK ratio instead.

From Seattle Times • May 1, 2024

He shook a bottle of yellow emulsion labeled Hall’s Cream Salve and poured it into the deep cuts.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.