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van der Waals

American  
[van-der wawlz, wahlz] / ˈvæn dər ˌwɔlz, ˌwɑlz /

noun

  1. Johannes Diderik, 1837–1923, Dutch theoretical physicist; Nobel Prize 1910.


adjective

  1. Also van der Waals'. of or relating to the equation or forces associated with the work of Johannes van der Waals.

van der Waals British  
/ vɑn dər ˈwaːls /

noun

  1. Johannes Diderik (joːˈhɑnəs ˈdiːdərik). 1837–1923, Dutch physicist, noted for his research on the equations of state of gases and liquids: Nobel prize for physics in 1910

"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

van der Waals Scientific  
/ văndərwôlz′ /
  1. Dutch physicist who accounted for many phenomena concerning gases and liquids by postulating the existence of intermolecular forces and a finite molecular volume. He derived a new equation of state for gases and liquids (now named for him), and for this work he received the 1910 Nobel Prize for physics.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Instead, the pressure develops naturally because of van der Waals attraction between the atomically thin layers.

From Science Daily Jul. 2, 2026

In these systems, the semiconductor and insulating layer bond together much more strongly instead of remaining loosely connected by van der Waals forces.

From Science Daily May 9, 2026

"Thus, we attempted the simple introduction of aliphatic chains, which induce van der Waals interactions. These interactions can be effective for modulating the stacking structure of a material," adds Prof. Maeda.

From Science Daily May 23, 2024

These perovskites comprise molecularly thin layers held together by forces that hold graphite layers together, the so-called van der Waals forces -- hence the "v" in CL-v.

From Science Daily May 9, 2024

This can be covalent bonds, hydrogen bridge bonds, van der Waals forces, and hydrophobic interactions.

From Science Daily Apr. 4, 2024

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