French Conversation · Level 119
60 words
French word
capillarité
Pronunciation
IPA/kapilaʁite/
Meaning
- feminine nouncapillary action
Example
On voit la capillarité quand on met un sachet de thé dans une tasse d'eau chaude.
You can see capillary action when you put a tea bag in a cup of hot water.
More examples
La capillarité permet au papier essuie-tout d'absorber l'eau.
Capillary action allows paper towels to absorb water.
Core concept
Water creeping through a bundle of fibers as though the fibers were joined by tiny hidden channels.
Definition in French
Capacité d'un liquide à monter ou à pénétrer dans de très fins interstices sans action extérieure, due à l'adhésion et à la tension superficielle.
Word origin
The noun was formed from French capillaire and the suffix -ité; capillaire derives from Latin capillaris, "related to hair," from capillus, "hair."
Usage tips
- The phrase par capillarité describes a liquid's movement through a material and is common in technical explanations.