surfactant

[ ser-fak-tuhnt ]

nounChemistry.

Origin of surfactant

1
1945–50; shortening of surf(ace)-act(ive)a(ge)nt

Words Nearby surfactant

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How to use surfactant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for surfactant

surfactant

/ (sɜːˈfæktənt) /


noun
  1. Also called: surface-active agent a substance, such as a detergent, that can reduce the surface tension of a liquid and thus allow it to foam or penetrate solids; a wetting agent

adjective
  1. having the properties of a surfactant

Origin of surfactant

1
C20: surf (ace) -act (ive) a (ge) nt

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for surfactant

surfactant

[ sər-făktənt ]


  1. A substance that, when dissolved in water, lowers the surface tension of the water and increases the solubility of organic compounds. Surfactants are used in inks to increase the effects of capillary action; detergents are surfactants that help remove organic compounds from a substance by making them dissolve more readily in the water in which the substance is washed.

  2. A substance composed of lipoprotein that is secreted by the alveolar cells of the lung and maintains the stability of pulmonary tissue by reducing the surface tension of fluids that coat the lung.

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