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

"By contrast, small-molecule drugs that are designed to cross the blood-brain barrier are hydrophobic in nature, which limits their bioavailability, increases the risk of off-target binding, and is linked to side effects."

Read more on Science Daily

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.

Read more on Science Daily

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.

Read more on Science Daily

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.

Read more on Science Daily

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

Read more on Science Daily