entropy
en·tro·py
noun \ˈen-trə-pē\ plural en·tro·pies
Definition of ENTROPY
1
: a measure of the unavailable energy in a closed thermodynamic system that is also usually considered to be a measure of the system's disorder, that is a property of the system's state, and that varies directly with any reversible change in heat in the system and inversely with the temperature of the system; broadly : the degree of disorder or uncertainty in a system
2
a : the degradation of the matter and energy in the universe to an ultimate state of inert uniformity b : a process of degradation or running down or a trend to disorder
3
— en·tro·pic \en-ˈtrō-pik, -ˈträ-pik\ adjective
— en·tro·pi·cal·ly \-pi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb
Origin of ENTROPY
International Scientific Vocabulary 2en- + Greek tropē change, literally, turn, from trepein to turn
First Known Use: 1875
Other Chemical Engineering Terms
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