Meanings
nounOstwald ripening (uncountable)
- uncountableAn observed phenomenon in solid solutions or liquid sols, where an inhomogeneous structure changes over time, i.e. small crystals or particles dissolve and redeposit onto larger crystals or particles.
Origin
First described by Wilhelm Ostwald in 1896.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
Ostwald ripening. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ostwald%20ripening
MLA
“Ostwald ripening.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ostwald%20ripening. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Ostwald ripening,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ostwald%20ripening.
Source: Ostwald ripening on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.