hydrophobic

[hahy-druh-foh-bik]

adjective

1. of or relating to hydrophobia.

2. Chemistry.,  having little or no affinity for water.

Other Word Forms

• hydrophobicity noun
• nonhydrophobic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hydrophobic¹

First recorded in 1640–50; hydrophobe + -ic

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.

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In their study published in Cell Reports Physical Science, the researchers also tried to understand the specific interactions that occur between hydrophobic components and proteins and their impact on protein aggregation.

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But in a counterintuitive twist, the very mechanism that enables hydrophobic surfaces to deflect water droplets also leads to the shearing effect outlined in Backholm's paper.

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This can be covalent bonds, hydrogen bridge bonds, van der Waals forces, and hydrophobic interactions.

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The engineered protein, resembling a structure with five arms, exhibits a unique feature -- a hydrophobic pore within its coiled-coil configuration.

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