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Showing results for hydrophobic. Search instead for hydro-phobic.

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.


hydrophobic British  
/ ˌhaɪdrəˈfəʊbɪk /

adjective

  1. of or relating to hydrophobia

  2. chem tending not to dissolve in, mix with, or be wetted by water Compare hydrophilic

    a hydrophobic colloid

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of hydrophobic

First recorded in 1640–50; hydrophobe + -ic

Vocabulary lists containing hydrophobic

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.

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

From Science Daily • Nov. 19, 2024

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

From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2024

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

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2024

The researchers employed methanol vapor to modify the secondary structure of silkworm silk proteins, resulting in a nanofiber membrane with a hydrophobic outer surface.

From Science Daily • Feb. 23, 2024

They walk through rivers fully clothed, and shake their vesture as a dog his coat; or are hydrophobic for their skins, fearing to wash lest they disturb essential oils.

From Essays in Rebellion by Nevinson, Henry W.