azeotrope

noun

azeo·​trope ˈā-zē-ə-ˌtrōp How to pronounce azeotrope (audio)
: a liquid mixture that is characterized by a constant minimum or maximum boiling point which is lower or higher than that of any of the components

Word History

Etymology

a- entry 2 + Greek ze-, stem of zéō, zeîn "to boil, seethe" + -o- + -trope, after earlier azeotropic "having the characteristics of an azeotrope" — more at yeast entry 1

Note: The term azeotropic was introduced by the English chemist John Wade (1864-1912) and his coworker Richard Willliam Merriman in "Influence of Water on the Boiling Point of Ethyl Alcohol at Pressures Above and Below the Atmospheric Pressure," Journal of the Chemical Society - Transactions, vol. 99 (1911), p. 1004.

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of azeotrope was in 1915

Dictionary Entries Near azeotrope

azelate

azeotrope

azeotropic distillation

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Azeotrope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/azeotrope. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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Medical Definition

azeotrope

noun
azeo·​trope ā-ˈzē-ə-ˌtrōp How to pronounce azeotrope (audio)
: a liquid mixture that is characterized by a constant minimum or maximum boiling point which is lower or higher than that of any of the components and that distills without change in composition
azeotropic
-ˌzē-ə-ˈtrō-pik How to pronounce azeotrope (audio) -ˈträp-ik How to pronounce azeotrope (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on azeotrope

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about azeotrope

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