smectic
[ smek-tik ]
adjectivePhysical Chemistry.(of liquid crystals)
noting a mesomorphic state in which the arrangement of the molecules is in layers or planes.
Origin of smectic
11665–75 for earlier sense “cleansing”; <Latin smēcticus<Greek smēktikós, equivalent to smēkt(ós) smeared, verbid of smḗchein to wash out, clean + -tikos-tic
- Compare nematic.
Words Nearby smectic
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British Dictionary definitions for smectic
smectic
/ (ˈsmɛktɪk) /
adjective
chem (of a substance) existing in or having a mesomorphic state in which the molecules are oriented in layers: Compare nematic See also liquid crystal
Origin of smectic
1C17: via Latin from Greek smēktikos, from smēkhein to wash; from the soaplike consistency of a smectic substance
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
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