emulsion

noun emul·sion \ i-ˈməl-shən \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of emulsion

1 a : a system (such as fat in milk) consisting of a liquid dispersed with or without an emulsifier in an immiscible liquid usually in droplets of larger than colloidal size

b : the state of such a system

2 : suspension 2b(3); especially : a suspension of a sensitive silver salt or a mixture of silver halides in a viscous medium (such as a gelatin solution) forming a coating on photographic plates, film, or paper

See emulsion defined for English-language learners

See emulsion defined for kids

Examples of emulsion in a Sentence

milk is basically an oil-in-water emulsion

Recent Examples of emulsion from the Web

After the wood vaporizes, the mixture is allowed to cool, forming an emulsion (a sort of mixture) of water, acidic oil, and sugars.

— chris lee, Ars Technica, "Lumber’s lure: Thanks to physics, viable biofuel may grow in the woods," 5 Apr. 2018
Give them a shot of mixed fish emulsion and liquid seaweed.

— leslie land, Good Housekeeping, "How to Grow Garlic," 21 Mar. 2018
Dior’s newest lipstick bridges the gap between skin care and makeup, delivering a soothing oil-in-water emulsion with highly pigmented color, designed to plump and shine up lips for eight hours at a time.

— jenna rennert, Vogue, "12 New Beauty Products Worth the Splurge for Spring," 16 Mar. 2018
By 1863 lenses and emulsions had improved to the point that the long exposures that had plagued sitters earlier were no longer necessary.

— arthur hart, idahostatesman, "Nameless photographers captured Idaho’s history on film | Idaho Statesman," 17 Mar. 2018
The way the pigment emulsion soaks into the fibers is texturally interesting, a toothy equivalent to the way paint saturates wet plaster in a fresco.

— leah ollman, latimes.com, "For Nathan Hayden at CB1 Gallery, the smaller the canvas, the bigger the effect," 13 Mar. 2018
Second Course: Buckwheat Crepe with Ascutney Mountain Cheese A riff on the cheese course, this buckwheat crepe comes with melted cheese from Ascutney Mountain in Vermont, chestnuts, black truffle, and a brown butter emulsion.

— amanda shapiro, Bon Appetit, "One of NYC's Coolest Restaurants Just Launched a Vegetarian Tasting Menu Because the People Demanded," 28 Feb. 2018
Shared plates and appetizers include roasted cauliflower with pine nut and garlic emulsion; mushroom croquettes with truffle aioli; sea scallops with sunchoke purée and ossetra caviar; and beef carpaccio with tomato, Parmesan and white truffle oil.

— greg morago, Houston Chronicle, "Chic Fig & Olive restaurant opens in Galleria," 12 Mar. 2018
Lighter than a moisturizer and more substantial than an essence, this emulsion leaves my skin plump and moisturized without causing additional breakouts.

— kathleen hou, The Cut, "How I Used Korean Skin Care to Treat My Hormonal Acne," 9 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'emulsion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of emulsion

New Latin emulsion-, emulsio, from Latin emulgēre to milk out, from e- + mulgēre to milk; akin to Old English melcan to milk, Greek amelgein

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1612

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

emulsion Synonyms

Other Pictures (on film) Terms

daguerreotype, fill, sepia, still, stop

EMULSION Defined for English Language Learners

emulsion

noun

Definition of emulsion for English Language Learners

: a mixture of liquids
: a thin coating on photographic film or paper that contains chemicals which are sensitive to light

EMULSION Defined for Kids

emulsion

noun emul·sion \ i-ˈməl-shən \

Definition of emulsion for Students

: two liquids mixed together so that tiny drops of one liquid are scattered throughout the other

Medical Dictionary

emulsion

noun emul·sion \ i-ˈməl-shən \

medical Definition of emulsion

1 a : a system (as fat in milk) consisting of a liquid dispersed with or without an emulsifier in an immiscible liquid usually in droplets of larger than colloidal size

b : the state of such a system

2 : suspension 2; especially : a suspension of a sensitive silver salt or a mixture of halides of silver in a viscous medium (as a gelatin solution) forming a coating on photographic plates, film, or paper

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