SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does surface-active agent mean? 

• SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT (noun)
  The noun SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT has 1 sense:

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

  Familiarity information: SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

surface-active agent; surfactant; wetter; wetting agent

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)

 Context examples 

Docusate sodium acts as a surface-active agent (emollient) that promotes the mixing of intestinal liquid and dry stool.

(Glyoktyl, NCI Thesaurus)