Osmotical

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to or involving the movement of a solvent through a semipermeable membrane from a weaker solution into a stronger one
2. Describing processes connected with the passage of water across a membrane to balance the concentration of dissolved substances
3. Pertaining to the natural diffusion of fluid through a barrier that allows water but not dissolved particles to pass

Etymology: Greek "ōsmos" meant "a push" or "a thrust," from the verb "ōthein," "to push." Scientists later borrowed the noun for the movement of a liquid through a membrane, which they pictured as one liquid pushing its way into another. "Osmotic" is formed from "osmosis" with the adjectival suffix "-otic." This longer form adds a second adjectival suffix, "-al," to the same base, so it has the same meaning as "osmotic." It is a valid but less common variant.

Synonyms: osmotic