van der Waals' forces
or van der Waals forces
plural nounPhysical Chemistry.
weak, nonspecific forces between molecules.
Origin of van der Waals' forces
1First recorded in 1925–30; see origin at van der Waals' equation
Words Nearby van der Waals' forces
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for van der Waals forces
van der Waals forces
pl n
weak electrostatic forces between atoms and molecules caused by transient distortions in the distribution of electrons in the interacting atoms or molecules
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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