Lyophil

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing a colloid or substance that readily dissolves or disperses in a liquid ; having a strong attraction for and tendency to combine with the solvent
2. Easily taken into solution by a liquid medium ; showing a natural affinity for solvent molecules so that it mixes readily with them
3. Capable of being dispersed in a liquid with ease ; characterized by a strong attraction to the solvent in which it is suspended

Etymology: "Lyophil" is an archaic form of "lyophile," a term from chemistry for a substance that readily mixes with or is dispersed in a liquid. Its parts are "lyo-," from the Greek "lyein," meaning "to loosen" or "to dissolve," and "-phile," from the Greek "philos," meaning "loving" or "friendly." Put together, the word describes something that takes to a solvent, literally "solvent-loving." The word appeared in English around 1900, in the United States, and it may have been influenced by the French "lyophile," itself a term for the same idea. The form "lyophil" with the shorter ending is the older spelling that later gave way to "lyophile."