surface-active


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Related to surface-active: nonionic surfactant

sur·face-ac·tive

(sûr′fəs-ăk′tĭv)
adj.
Of, relating to, or being a substance capable of reducing the surface tension of a liquid in which it is dissolved. Used especially of detergents, wetting agents, and emulsifiers.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

surface-active

adj
(Chemistry) (of a substance, esp a detergent) capable of lowering the surface tension of a liquid, usually water. See also surfactant
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

sur′face-ac`tive


adj.
of or pertaining to a substance that, when dissolved in water, reduces surface tension.
[1915–20]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Adj.1.surface-active - capable of lowering the surface tension of a liquid; used especially of detergents
active - exerting influence or producing a change or effect; "an active ingredient"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
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Certainly there is a trendy disdain for surfactants, the "surface-active agents'' responsible for shampoo's cleaning action and lathering properties, and detergents.
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Films of various surface-active substances often play a crucial role in the formation and interpretation of the signal emitted or reflected from the ocean surface and detected in the remote sensing of lakes, seas, and oceans.
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Done and dusted: the antistatic developments driving automotives

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