hygroscopic

[ hahy-gruh-skop-ik ]

/ ˌhaɪ grəˈskɒp ɪk /

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adjective

absorbing or attracting moisture from the air.

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Origin of hygroscopic

First recorded in 1765–75; hygroscope + -ic

OTHER WORDS FROM hygroscopic

hy·gro·scop·i·cal·ly, adverbhy·gro·sco·pic·i·ty

[hahy-gruh-skoh-pis-i-tee], /ˌhaɪ grə skoʊˈpɪs ɪ ti/, nounnon·hy·gro·scop·ic, adjectivenon·hy·gro·scop·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby hygroscopic

hygrometric, hygrometry, hygrophilous, hygrophyte, hygroscope, hygroscopic, hygrostat, hygrothermograph, Hygroton, hying, Hyksos

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hygroscopic in a sentence

This combination is hygroscopic, anodyne and antiseptic and is easily applied.
Lameness of the Horse|John Victor Lacroix
It should be ignited and cooled out of contact with air just before using, since it is hygroscopic.
A Textbook of Assaying: For the Use of Those Connected with Mines.|Cornelius Beringer and John Jacob Beringer
The chaff and awns of all are hygroscopic; that is, are changed by differences caused by variation of moisture in the air.
Seed Dispersal|William J. Beal
In this device, a thin strip of hygroscopic material (as a piece of goose quill) is formed into a spiral coil.
Physics|Willis Eugene Tower

Now, these styles are hygroscopic—that is, they are influenced by changes in the condition of the atmosphere as regards moisture.
Field and Woodland Plants|William S. Furneaux

British Dictionary definitions for hygroscopic

hygroscopic

/ (ˌhaɪɡrəˈskɒpɪk) /

adjective

(of a substance) tending to absorb water from the air

Derived forms of hygroscopic

hygroscopically, adverbhygroscopicity (ˌhaɪɡrəskəʊˈpɪsɪtɪ), noun

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

Scientific definitions for hygroscopic

hygroscopic

[ hī′grə-skŏp′ĭk ]

Relating to a compound that easily absorbs moisture from the atmosphere.