hydrophilic

[hahy-druh-fil-ik]

adjective

Chemistry.

1. having a strong affinity for water.

noun

1. soft lens.

hydrophilic

/ ˌhaɪdrəʊˈfɪlɪk /

adjective

1. chem tending to dissolve in, mix with, or be wetted by water Compare hydrophobic

   a hydrophilic colloid

Other Word Forms

• hydrophile noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hydrophilic¹

First recorded in 1900–05; hydro- ¹ + -philic

Example Sentences

Desert beetles and lizards, for example, have evolved to develop surface structures that have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic areas and effectively capture moisture from the air.

From Science Daily

The scientists then adhere the nanoparticles to carbon paper that is hydrophilic, or attracted to water molecules.

From Science Daily

We call them "hydrophilic" or water loving; those are the ones that will make your food taste bad.

From Salon

The hydrophilic ends repel each other, which helps to keep the oil suspended in water.

From Salon

Soap is made of pin-shaped molecules, each of which has a hydrophilic head — it readily bonds with water — and a hydrophobic tail, which shuns water and prefers to link up with oils and fats.

From New York Times

When To Use

What does hydrophilic mean?

Describing something as hydrophilic means that it tends to be attracted to water or that it tends to easily dissolve in, mix with, absorb, or be saturated by water.In general, hydrophilic describes things that tend to interact with or be affected by water in some way.Hydrophilic is used in the context of science, especially chemistry, to describe many different substances or chemicals, such as ammonia, ethanol, table salt, and table sugar. Hydrophilic can also appear in a wide range of other fields, such as hydrophilic medicine. In construction or plumbing, some metals and surfaces are described as hydrophilic.