Meanings
plural capillarities
- countableuncountableThe interaction between the surfaces of a solid and liquid in contact that distorts the normal geometry of the liquid surface; especially the rise or fall of a liquid in a fine tube.
Hence the allowance to be made for diminution of the height of a mercurial column, owing to capillarity, is determined by two considerations — the diameter of the tube and versed sine of the corresponding meniscus.
1856, William Somerville Orr, Orr's Circle of the SciencesSynonyms: capillary action, wicking
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe interaction between the surfaces of a solid and liquid in contact that distorts the normal geometry of the liquid surface; especially the rise or fall of a liquid in a fine tube.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna phenomenon associated with surface tension and resulting in the elevation or depression of liquids in capillaries
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Frenchcapillarité
- Englishcapillarity
From French capillarité.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish kapillaarisuus, hiushuokoisuus
- kapillaarisuusinteraction between the surface of a solid and liquid
- hiushuokoisuusinteraction between the surface of a solid and liquid
Icelandic hárpípukraftur, hárpípuhrif
- hárpípukrafturinteraction between the surface of a solid and liquid
- hárpípuhrifinteraction between the surface of a solid and liquid
- hárpípuverkuninteraction between the surface of a solid and liquid
- sogpípukrafturinteraction between the surface of a solid and liquid
Indonesian kapilaritas
- kapilaritasinteraction between the surface of a solid and liquid
Italian capillarità
- capillaritàinteraction between the surface of a solid and liquid
Malay kapilariti
- kapilaritiinteraction between the surface of a solid and liquid
Romanian capilaritate
- capilaritateinteraction between the surface of a solid and liquid
Spanish capilaridad, absorbencia
- capilaridadinteraction between the surface of a solid and liquid
- absorbenciainteraction between the surface of a solid and liquid
- absorbimientointeraction between the surface of a solid and liquid
- absorcióninteraction between the surface of a solid and liquid
- alejamientointeraction between the surface of a solid and liquid
Tagalog kalamuymuyan
- kalamuymuyaninteraction between the surface of a solid and liquid
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
capillarity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/capillarity
“capillarity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/capillarity. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “capillarity,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/capillarity.
Source: capillarity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.