Meanings
- not comparablerareCleansing.
- not comparablerareAstringent; detergent.
- not comparablechemistryWhose molecules are aligned in layers, with the molecules lying perpendicular to the plane of the layers.
Before studying the fluctuations and defects of the bilayers in the smectic phase, one should first characterize the equilibrium structure of the simulated lamellar phase.
2005, Claire Loison, Numerical Simulations of a Smectic Lamellar Phase of Amphiphilic Molecules, Cuvillier Verlag, page 311 more example
The smectic phases, which are found at lower temperatures than the nematic, form well-defined layers that can slide over one another in a manner similar to that of soap.[…]There are many different smectic phases, all characterized by different types and degrees of positional and orientational order.^([Wikipedia])
plural smectics
- A liquid crystal having the molecules aligned in this way; a phase of a liquid crystal in which the molecules are so aligned.
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Ancient Greekσμηκτικός
- Latinsmecticus
- Englishsmectic
From Latin smecticus, from Ancient Greek σμηκτικός (smēktikós), from σμήχειν (smḗkhein, “to wipe, to cleanse”) + -ικός (-ikós, “-ic”).
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish smektinen
- smektinenof a class of liquid crystals whose molecules are aligned in layers
French smectique
- smectiqueof a class of liquid crystals whose molecules are aligned in layers
Italian smectico
- smecticoof a class of liquid crystals whose molecules are aligned in layers
Spanish esmético
- esméticoof a class of liquid crystals whose molecules are aligned in layers
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with smectic
Cite this entry
smectic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/smectic
“smectic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/smectic. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “smectic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/smectic.
Source: smectic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.