hydrophobic

hy·dro·pho·bic | \ ˌhī-drə-ˈfō-bik

How to pronounce hydrophobic (audio)

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Definition of hydrophobic

1 : of, relating to, or suffering from hydrophobia

2 : lacking affinity for water

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Examples of hydrophobic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The three-layer jacket is spun from a waterproof but breathable membrane that's lighter and softer-feeling than other hydrophobic fabrics. — Matt Jancer, Wired, "The Best Gear for Not Trudging Through the Snow," 17 Dec. 2019 The hydrophobic polymers that make up the base layer shed water but attract the silicone oil, keeping the lubricant in place for about 500 flushes (after which more silicone must be applied). — Viviane Callier, Scientific American, "Superslippery Toilets Squash Water Wastage," 18 Nov. 2019 Each layer contains fatty lipids with two significant regions: the hydrophobic tail, which resists water, and the hydrophilic head, which plays nice with water. — Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, "Unsinkable Metal Could Lead to Unsinkable Ships. Now Where Have We Heard That Before?," 7 Nov. 2019 Because the water–food coloring mixture avoids the Sharpie’s hydrophobic ink, the droplets would follow the contours of the tracks. — Sarah Lewin Frasier, Scientific American, "2 Common Liquids Spontaneously Form Dancing Droplets [Video]," 11 Mar. 2015 To capture the heat, the team built out a stack of water channels, separated by porous hydrophobic membranes and heat conduction layers. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Solar Panels Could Make Saltwater Safe for Farming," 11 July 2019 They're also polarized to reduce glare and treated with a hydrophobic coating. — Adrienne So, WIRED, "The Best Sunglasses for Every Outdoor Occasion," 5 July 2019 Get our daily newsletter His latest surface, though, which is even more hydrophobic than the previous ones, goes back to tinkering not with the pockets’ contents, but with the surface’s geometry. — The Economist, "How to make a better raincoat with tiny “water bowls”," 4 July 2019 An undulating tail similar to the gecko's might help with the latter issue and strengthen forward propulsion, while coating the robot with a hydrophobic material similar to the gecko's skin structure could significantly reduce drag. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Geckos’ new superpower is running on water; now we know how they do it," 6 Dec. 2018

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

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Dictionary Entries near hydrophobic

hydrophobia skunk

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Last Updated

31 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Hydrophobic.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrophobic. Accessed 19 January 2020.

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More Definitions for hydrophobic

hydrophobic

hy·dro·pho·bic | \ -ˈfō-bik

\

Medical Definition of hydrophobic

1 : of, relating to, or suffering from hydrophobia

2 : resistant to or avoiding wetting a hydrophobic lens

3 : of, relating to, or having a lack of affinity for water hydrophobic colloids are relatively unstable — compare lyophobic, oleophobic

WORD OF THE DAY

intercalate

to insert between existing elements

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