porosity

noun

po·​ros·​i·​ty pə-ˈrä-sə-tē How to pronounce porosity (audio)
pȯ-
plural porosities
1
a
: the quality or state of being porous
b
: the ratio of the volume of interstices of a material to the volume of its mass
2
: pore

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web A couple of factors that affect the length of time a gloss lasts are the porosity of the hair and the level of deposit of the gloss. Dori Price, Good Housekeeping, 15 Aug. 2022 This hair mask can penetrate even dense hair with low porosity. Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 May 2022 The energy absorbed as a result of compression and loss of porosity during collisions also helps clumps stick together rather than bouncing off one another or breaking apart. Linda T. Elkins-tanton, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2016 Casting porosity refers to small bubbles in castings like engine blocks and pistons. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2023 Toners also strengthen hair by creating a protective barrier around the strands and balancing the hair’s porosity by filling in the shaft. Kristin Corpuz, ELLE, 1 Mar. 2023 So what is high porosity hair? Celia Shatzman, Good Housekeeping, 15 Mar. 2023 Totaling nearly four hours, the Dyson hair ambassador‘s Sessions by MasterClass course teaches viewers how to identify their hair type, texture and porosity and how to style and care for different tresses. Danielle Directo-meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Mar. 2023 Variation of magnetic field response and polarization behavior during discharging at 0.12 and 0.36 anode porosity values (right). IEEE Spectrum, 14 Jan. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'porosity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of porosity was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near porosity

Cite this Entry

“Porosity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/porosity. Accessed 1 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

porosity

noun
po·​ros·​i·​ty pə-ˈräs-ət-ē How to pronounce porosity (audio)
pōr-ˈäs-,
pȯ-ˈräs-
plural porosities
: the quality or state of being porous

Medical Definition

porosity

noun
po·​ros·​i·​ty pə-ˈräs-ət-ē, pō-, pȯ- How to pronounce porosity (audio)
plural porosities
1
a
: the quality or state of being porous
b
: the ratio of the volume of interstices of a material to the volume of its mass
2
: pore

More from Merriam-Webster on porosity

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