azeotrope

noun

azeo·trope ˈā-zē-ə-ˌtrōp

: 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

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Azeotrope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/azeotrope. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

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Medical Definition

azeotrope

noun

azeo·trope ā-ˈzē-ə-ˌtrōp

: 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

-ˈträp-ik

adjective

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azeotrope

noun

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near azeotrope

Cite this Entry

Medical Definition