van der Waals

American  

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

noun

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

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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

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van der Waals Scientific  

/ văn′dərwôlz′ /

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.

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Example Sentences

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

Magnetic order in stacked van der Waals magnets was widely expected to follow this same length scale.

From Science Daily • Mar. 2, 2026

The nature of the van der Waals forces between layers allows researchers to use Scotch tape to peel the layers into atomic thickness.

From Science Daily • May 1, 2024

Van der Waals materials are made up of strongly bonded 2D layers that are bound in the third dimension through weaker van der Waals forces.

From Science Daily • May 1, 2024

"Our device is also more energy efficient than other van der Waals magnets that are unable to switch at room temperature."

From Science Daily • Feb. 22, 2024