Immiscibility

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The property whereby two liquids cannot achieve a uniform mixture occurs due to their distinct chemical characteristics
2. The characteristic of two liquids that prevents them from blending into a consistent solution
3. A property where liquids remain separate when combined because they do not dissolve in each other

Etymology: Immiscibility is a plain construction: the prefix "im-" meaning "not" attached to "miscibility," the noun form of "miscible," which describes substances that can be mixed together. The prefix traces back through Latin "in-" (which took the form "im-" before the letter "m"), and the root of "miscible" is itself Latin, built from a verb meaning "to mix." The suffix "-ity" comes from Latin "-itās," which passed into English through Old French and Middle English as "-ite" before settling into its modern spelling. The sense is literal and practical. Chemists and physicists use the term for liquids that will not blend, such as oil and water, where the two separate into layers rather than forming a single solution. The word thus names a property of substances, and it has stayed close to that original, technical meaning.

Synonyms: incompatibility, unmixability

Antonyms: miscibility, compatibility