emulsion

noun

emul·​sion i-ˈməl-shən 

1

a

: a system (such as fat in milk) consisting of a liquid dispersed with or without an emulsifier in an immiscible liquid usually in droplets of larger than colloidal size

b

: the state of such a system

2

: suspension sense 2b(3)

especially : a suspension of a sensitive silver salt or a mixture of silver halides in a viscous medium (such as a gelatin solution) forming a coating on photographic plates, film, or paper

Synonyms

• admixture
• alloy
• amalgam
• amalgamation
• blend
• cocktail
• combination
• composite
• compound
• conflation
• fusion
• intermixture
• meld
• mix
• mixture
• synthesis

Examples of emulsion in a Sentence

milk is basically an oil-in-water emulsion

Recent Examples on the Web

Slurry seal is a pavement preservation method consisting of asphalt emulsion, sand and rock. —City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2024

Bricker chose a set of vintage anamorphic Panavision primes and built a film emulsion LUT to create the look of the special — and in both cases, fully expected Einbinder and Honig to tell him to pare his initial ideas back. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 24 Nov. 2024

The asphalt emulsion and crushed rock cure and are then followed by an application of fog seal, a thin liquid oil that seals narrow cracks and provides a deep black surface color. —Ashley MacKin-Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2024

If one dish features a cream emulsion, for example, the following dish will likely not have a lactose-heavy sauce. —Anna Haines, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin emulsion-, emulsio, from Latin emulgēre to milk out, from e- + mulgēre to milk; akin to Old English melcan to milk, Greek amelgein

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

emulsion

noun

emul·​sion i-ˈməl-shən 

: a material consisting of a mixture of liquids that do not dissolve in each other and having droplets of one liquid scattered throughout the other

an emulsion of oil in water

Medical Definition

emulsion

noun

emul·​sion i-ˈməl-shən 

1

a

: a system (as fat in milk) consisting of a liquid dispersed with or without an emulsifier in an immiscible liquid usually in droplets of larger than colloidal size

b

: the state of such a system

2

: suspension sense 2

especially : a suspension of a sensitive silver salt or a mixture of halides of silver in a viscous medium (as a gelatin solution) forming a coating on photographic plates, film, or paper

emulsive

-ˈməl-siv 

adjective