emulsion
Definitions
General English
- noun a mixture of two liquids which do not unite completely, such as oil and water
General Science
- noun a suspension of one liquid such as oil in another such as water
- noun a type of water-based paint, usually giving a matt finish
Astronomy
Cars & Driving
- noun a mixture of two liquids which do not fully mix, such as oil and water, or specifically of petrol and air in a carburettor
Construction
- A mixture of two liquids that are insoluble in one another and in which globules of one are suspended in the other (such as oil globulesin water).
- The mixture of solid particles and the liquid in which they are suspended but insoluble, as in a mixture of uniformly dispersed bitumen particles in water, in which the cementing action required in roofing and waterproofing would occur as the water evaporates.
Food
- A mixture of two or more immiscible liquids or semi-solids in which one is divided into very small droplets (less than 0.01 mm diameter) dispersed in the other(s). Mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce and cake batters are typical examples.
- butter whisked into salted boiling water, used for reheating vegetables just before service to give a pleasing sheen
Media Studies
- noun the chemical coating on film that is light-sensitive and records the image, available in different speeds and altitudes
Publishing
- noun a light-sensitive coating on photographic film or paper
Real Estate
- noun a water-based paint used for interior decorating, usually with a matt or silk finish
Origin & History of “emulsion”
An emulsion is an undissolved suspension of tiny drops of one liquid dispersed throughout another. The classic example of this is milk – whence its name. It comes from modern Latin ēmulsiō, a derivative of ēmulgēre ‘drain out, milk out’. This was a compound verb formed from the prefix ex- ‘out’ and mulgēre ‘milk’, a distant relative of English milk. The word’s familiar modern application to paint dates from the 1930s.
