Meanings
comparative more nematic · superlative most nematic
- chemistryWhose molecules align in loose parallel lines.
plural nematics
- A liquid crystal whose molecules align in loose parallel lines.
It is easy to see, however, that the same coefficients in nematics determine the adiabatic deformations also.
1984, L D Landau, L. P. Pitaevskii, A. M. Kosevich, E.M. Lifshitz, Theory of Elasticity, volume 7, page 1472 more examples
For low-molecular-weight nematics, it has been known that the constitutive equation of nematics is entirely different from that for isotropic liquids.
1988, Masao Doi, The Theory of Polymer Dynamics, page 368Electrohydrodynamic instabilities in nematics could be classified according to the dependence of the threshold voltage (or field) on the physical parameters of the liquid crystal, cell geometry, field frequency, etc.
1996, Lev M. Blinov, Vladimir G. Chigrinov, Electrooptic Effects in Liquid Crystal Materials, page 274
Origin
- Ancient Greekνήματος
- Englishnematic
From Ancient Greek νήματος (nḗmatos), genitive of νῆμα (nêma, “thread”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish nemaattinen
- nemaattinenwhose molecules align in loose parallel lines
French nématique
- nématiquewhose molecules align in loose parallel lines
Italian nematico
- nematicowhose molecules align in loose parallel lines
Japanese ネマティック
- ネマティック (nematikku)whose molecules align in loose parallel lines
Korean 네마틱
- 네마틱 (nematik)whose molecules align in loose parallel lines
Swedish nematisk
- nematiskwhose molecules align in loose parallel lines
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
nematic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nematic
“nematic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nematic. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nematic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nematic.
Source: nematic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.