hydrophobic

The term “hydrophobic” is often used in scientific and engineering contexts to describe materials or surfaces that repel water or do not want to interact with water. It comes from Greek, where “ὕδωρ” (hydōr) means water and “φόβος” (phóbos) means fear. A literal translation of the term would be “water avoidant”.

The concept of hydrophobicity is of great importance in many areas. From nature to technology, examples of hydrophobic properties abound. Some examples are the leaves of lotus flowers, which are self-cleaning due to their hydrophobic properties, or technical applications such as water-repellent coatings for clothing, buildings and electronic devices.

If you want to explain the term “hydrophobic” in an everyday context, you can imagine a drop of water landing on a surface and forming into a spherical shape instead of spreading out. This is because the surface repels the water and does not allow it to penetrate or adhere.

In contrast to this is the term “hydrophilic,” which means “water-loving.” Hydrophilic materials or surfaces attract water and allow it to penetrate or adhere easily.