porosity

American  

[paw-ros-i-tee, poh-, puh-] / pɔˈrɒs ɪ ti, poʊ-, pə- /

noun

plural

porosities

1. the state or quality of being porous.

2. Geology, Engineering. the ratio, expressed as a percentage, of the volume of the pores pore or interstices of a substance, as a rock or rock stratum, to the total volume of the mass.

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porosity British  

/ pɔːˈrɒsɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or condition of being porous

2. geology the ratio of the volume of space to the total volume of a rock

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porosity Scientific  

/ pə-rŏs′ĭ-tē,pô- /

1. The condition of being porous.

2. The ratio of the volume of all the pores in a material to the volume of the whole.

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Etymology

Origin of porosity

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English porosytee, from Medieval Latin porōsitās ; porous, -ity

Example Sentences

Aerogels, known for their porosity and low density, are solid materials that offer versatile functionality -- from gobbling up fat globules in weight-management supplements to facilitating more sustainable metal-recycling processes.

From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2024

Once the sample container is fully opened in the coming days, the team will sort through the collected pebbles, using instruments built into the glove boxes to measure the rocks’ volume, shape, mass, and porosity.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 24, 2023

There are different curl patterns, porosity, and thicknesses of hair.

From National Geographic • Aug. 22, 2023

“The Gundlach building looks the way it does because the community wanted it,” Mr. Sirén said, emphasizing its porosity.

From New York Times • Apr. 27, 2023

Its shore could not be called a beach, there being neither sand nor pebbles, and there was no pounding of surf either, since the waves that fell upon the island simply vanished into its porosity.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel