Library / English Dictionary

SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A chemical agent capable of reducing the surface tension of a liquid in which it is dissolved

Synonyms:

surface-active agent; surfactant; wetter; wetting agent

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("surface-active agent" is a kind of...):

chemical agent (an agent that produces chemical reactions)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "surface-active agent"):

emulsifier (a surface-active agent that promotes the formation of an emulsion)

detergent (a surface-active chemical widely used in industry and laundering)

Credits