thixotropic

/ ˈθɪksəˌtrəʊp, ˌθɪksəˈtrɒpɪk, θɪkˈsɒtrəpɪ /

adjective

1. (of fluids and gels) having a viscosity that decreases when a stress is applied, as when stirred

   thixotropic paints

Other Word Forms

• thixotropy noun
• thixotrope noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of thixotropic¹

C20: from Greek thixis the act of touching + _-tropic

Example Sentences

Waldman revels in technical vocabulary, piling up lists of “surfactants,” “extenders,” “thixotropic agents” and other mystery ingredients.

Read more on Washington Post

Harvard University Press, 2012 A slim, engaging volume that mixes mini lessons on such subjects as thixotropic fluids—think house paint and ballpoint pen ink, both of which flow when someone applies pressure to them but gel when left alone—with anecdotes from the author’s adventurous life.

Read more on Scientific American

All of which means that the slippery stuff has another distinctive characteristic: it is thixotropic�a sudden shock can transform it from a solid to a liquid.

Read more on Time Magazine Archive