hydrophobic

American  

[hahy-druh-foh-bik] / ˌhaɪ drəˈfoʊ bɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to hydrophobia.

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

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Other Word Forms

• hydrophobicity noun
• nonhydrophobic adjective

Etymology

Origin of hydrophobic

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."

From Science Daily

Water is attracted to the hydrophilic areas and droplets are accumulated and transported through the hydrophobic areas.

From 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.

From 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.

From Science Daily

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

From Science Daily