Definition of hydrophilic
: of, relating to, or having a strong affinity for water hydrophilic proteins
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Recent Examples of hydrophilic from the Web
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NBS Corning Corning, New York NBS – as in nonbinding surface – is a nonionic hydrophilic polymer coating that prevents traces of proteins, DNA, or drug compounds from sticking to test tubes or assay plates.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hydrophilic'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of hydrophilic
New Latin hydrophilus, from Greek hydr- + -philos -philous
First Known Use: 1901
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of hydrophilic
: of, relating to, or having a strong affinity for water hydrophilic colloids swell in water and are relatively stable soft contact lenses are made of hydrophilic plastic, which absorbs water—compare lipophilic, lyophilic, oleophilic
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