Hermetically

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /hɚˈmɛt.ɪk(.ə)li/

Definitions

1. Done in a way that is completely sealed against air or gas entry or exit
2. Performed so as to prevent any air or gas from passing through a container or closure
3. Carried out to create an airtight seal that stops the flow of air and preserves contents

Etymology: Hermetically is built from "hermetic" plus the adverbial ending "-ally," so its real story lies in the adjective. That adjective traces back to Hermes Trismegistus, the legendary Greek-Egyptian sage whose writings were prized by alchemists and occultists in medieval and early modern Europe. "Hermetic" came to describe sealing a vessel so completely that nothing could pass through, a practice associated with alchemical work, and the sense of total closure stuck. The adverb follows the usual pattern for English: the adjective "hermetic" takes the suffix "-ally," which forms adverbs of manner from adjectives ending in "-ic" (as in "basically" or "tragically"). The ending itself descends from Old English "-līċe," a relative of the word "like," which explains why "-ally" is essentially a worn-down "in a like manner."

Synonyms: airtightly, sealed, impermeably