cholesteric

adjective

cho·​le·​ster·​ic ˌkō-lə-ˈster-ik How to pronounce cholesteric (audio) kə-ˈle-stə-rik How to pronounce cholesteric (audio)
: of, relating to, or being the phase of a liquid crystal characterized by arrangement of molecules in layers with the long molecular axes parallel to one another in the plane of each layer and incrementally displaced in successive layers to give helical stacking compare nematic, smectic

Examples of cholesteric in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The physics are similar to those of the cholesteric liquid crystal but without the strong dependence on polarization. —IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2010

Word History

Etymology

cholesteric relating to cholesterol, from French cholesterique

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cholesteric was in 1923

Browse Nearby Words

cholestene
cholesteric
cholesterol
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Cite this Entry

“Cholesteric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cholesteric. Accessed 27 Jul. 2025.

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Medical Definition

cholesteric

adjective
cho·​les·​ter·​ic kə-ˈles-tə-rik; ˌkō-lə-ˈster-ik How to pronounce cholesteric (audio) ˌkäl-ə- How to pronounce cholesteric (audio)
: of, relating to, or resembling cholesterol or its derivatives
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