English edit

Etymology edit

water +‎ loving

Adjective edit

water-loving (comparative more water-loving, superlative most water-loving)

  1. (chemistry) Having an affinity for water; hydrophilic.
    • 1894, U.S. Government Printing Office, Yearbook of Agriculture:
      To prepare a cotton that would swell like linen, we decided to attach water-loving groups to the cellulose chain
    • Aug 31, 2012, Robert L. Wolke, What Einstein Didn't Know: Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions:
      The trouble is that calcium, magnesium, and iron react with the water-loving ends of the molecule to form insoluble []
    • Oct 1, 2013, Robert L. Wolke, What a Wonderful World: One Man's Attempt to Explain the Big Stuff:
      This is made of fatty acids, molecules that are characterized by having a water-loving end and a water-hating end.
    • Aug 28, 2014, Mark Burkitt, Healthy Eating Through Informed Choice:
      Since it accomodates[sic] both the water-hating and water-loving properties of modified diglycerides ...
    • Sep 9, 2014, Michael Backes, Cannabis Pharmacy: The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana:
      a barrier consisting of cells that prevent bacteria and large or water-loving molecules from crossing into the central nervous system

Synonyms edit