surfactant

[ ser-fak-tuh nt ]
/ sərˈfæk tənt /

noun Chemistry.

surface-active agent.

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Origin of surfactant

1945–50; shortening of surf(ace)-act(ive) a(ge)nt

Words nearby surfactant

surface-tension theory of narcosis, surface-to-air, surface-to-surface, surface-to-underwater, surfacing, surfactant, surfbird, surfboard, surfboarding, surfboat, surfcasting
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for surfactant

surfactant
/ (sɜːˈfæktənt) /

noun

Also called: surface-active agent a substance, such as a detergent, that can reduce the surface tension of a liquid and thus allow it to foam or penetrate solids; a wetting agent

adjective

having the properties of a surfactant

Word Origin for surfactant

C20: surf (ace) -act (ive) a (ge) nt
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

Medical definitions for surfactant

surfactant
[ sər-făk′tənt, sûr′făk′- ]

n.

A surface-active substance.
A substance composed of lipoprotein that is secreted by the alveolar cells of the lung and serves to maintain the stability of pulmonary tissue by reducing the surface tension of fluids that coat the lung.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for surfactant

surfactant
[ sər-făk′tənt ]

A substance that, when dissolved in water, lowers the surface tension of the water and increases the solubility of organic compounds. Surfactants are used in inks to increase the effects of capillary action; detergents are surfactants that help remove organic compounds from a substance by making them dissolve more readily in the water in which the substance is washed.
A substance composed of lipoprotein that is secreted by the alveolar cells of the lung and maintains the stability of pulmonary tissue by reducing the surface tension of fluids that coat the lung.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.