nematic

American

[ni-mat-ik] / nɪˈmæt ɪk /

adjective

Physical Chemistry.

noting a mesomorphic state in which the arrangement of the molecules is linear.

nematic British

/ nɪˈmætɪk /

adjective

chem (of a substance) existing in or having a mesomorphic state in which a linear orientation of the molecules causes anisotropic properties Compare smectic See also liquid crystal

"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

Etymology

Origin of nematic

First recorded in 1920–25; nemat- + -ic

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023