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viscosity
[ vi-skos-i-tee ]
/ vɪˈskɒs ɪ ti /
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noun, plural vis·cos·i·ties.
the state or quality of being viscous.
Physics.
- the property of a fluid that resists the force tending to cause the fluid to flow.
- the measure of the extent to which a fluid possesses this property.
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Origin of viscosity
OTHER WORDS FROM viscosity
hy·per·vis·cos·i·ty, nounWords nearby viscosity
viscoelastic, viscoid, viscometer, Visconti, viscose, viscosity, viscosity index, viscount, viscountcy, viscountess, Viscount Melville Sound
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use viscosity in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for viscosity
viscosity
/ (vɪsˈkɒsɪtɪ) /
noun plural -ties
the state or property of being viscous
physics
- the extent to which a fluid resists a tendency to flow
- Also called: absolute viscosity a measure of this resistance, equal to the tangential stress on a liquid undergoing streamline flow divided by its velocity gradient. It is measured in newton seconds per metre squaredSymbol: η See also kinematic viscosity, specific viscosity
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
Scientific definitions for viscosity
viscosity
[ vĭ-skŏs′ĭ-tē ]
The resistance of a substance to flow. For example, water has a lower viscosity than molasses and flows more easily. Viscosity is related to the concept of shear force; it can be understood as the effect of different layers of the fluid exerting shearing force on each other, or on other surfaces, as they move against each other. Viscosity lies behind the skin friction component of drag.♦ Kinematic viscosity is a measure of the rate at which momentum is transferred through a fluid. It is measured in stokes.♦ Dynamic viscosity is a measure of the ratio of the stress on a region of a fluid to the rate of change of strain it undergoes. It is equal to the kinematic viscosity times the density of the fluid. It is measured in pascal-seconds or poises.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for viscosity
viscosity
[ (vis-kos-uh-tee) ]
The internal friction of a fluid, produced by the movement of its molecules against each other. Viscosity causes the fluid to resist flowing.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.