azeotropism
|a-ze-o-trop-ism|
🇺🇸
/ˌeɪziəˈtroʊpɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/ˌeɪziəˈtrɒpɪzəm/
constant-boiling behavior of mixtures
Etymology
'azeotropism' originates from New Latin/modern scientific coinage built from 'azeotrope' + the suffix '-ism', where 'azeotrope' itself is formed from Greek elements 'zein' (to boil) and 'tropos' (turn) combined in modern scientific usage.
'azeotropism' developed from the term 'azeotrope' (coined in the 19th century in European chemistry literature) by adding the suffix '-ism' to denote the property or phenomenon; 'azeotrope' came into scientific English via French and New Latin formations based on Greek roots.
Initially the related term 'azeotrope' named a mixture that boils without change in composition; over time 'azeotropism' came to denote the general property or tendency of mixtures to exhibit that behavior.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the property or tendency of a liquid mixture to form an azeotrope — that is, to boil at a constant temperature with a constant composition, so that simple distillation cannot separate the components.
Azeotropism can make simple distillation ineffective for separating mixtures like ethanol and water.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/07 01:10