thixotropy

noun

thix·​ot·​ro·​py thik-ˈsä-trə-pē How to pronounce thixotropy (audio)
: the property of various gels of becoming fluid when disturbed (as by shaking)
… says that blood liquefaction can be explained in terms of a phenomenon called thixotropy. Certain substances, including some types of mayonnaise, are normally thick gels, but can be liquefied instantly by shaking or stirring.The New York Times
thixotropic adjective
thixotropic clay
A thixotropic gel is one capable of liquefying when agitated and of resolidifying when allowed to stand. Joe Nickell

Examples of thixotropy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The mayonnaises studied showed non-Newtonian, pseudoplastic flow with yield stress and thixotropy. Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 14 Apr. 2011

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Tixotropie, from Greek thíxis "act of touching" (from thig-, base of thingánein "to touch, handle" + -sis -sis) + German -o- -o- + -tropie -tropy — more at thigmotropism

Note: The term was introduced by the Hungarian biologist Tibor Péterfi (1883-1953) in Archiv für Entwicklungsmechanik der Organismen, No. 112 (1927), p. 689.

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thixotropy was in 1927

Dictionary Entries Near thixotropy

Cite this Entry

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

Medical Definition

thixotropy

noun
thix·​ot·​ro·​py thik-ˈsä-trə-pē How to pronounce thixotropy (audio)
plural thixotropies
: the property of various gels of becoming fluid when disturbed (as by shaking)
thixotropic adjective

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