porosity

noun

po·​ros·​i·​ty pə-ˈrä-sə-tē 

pȯ-

plural porosities

1

a

: the quality or state of being porous

b

: the ratio of the volume of interstices of a material to the volume of its mass

2

: pore

Examples of porosity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Engineer Don Kramer told a Coast Guard panel there were wrinkles, porosity and voids in the carbon fiber used for the pressure hull of OceanGate’s Titan submersible. —Jason Del Rey, Fortune, 18 June 2023

Vacuum Assistance: Sufficient vacuum assistance is necessary to reduce porosity and improve part quality. —Raghunandan Gurumurthy, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024

The proprietary ingredient balances out the hair’s porosity for on-the-spot, uniform toning and brassiness reduction. —Jenny Berg, Vogue, 28 July 2024

Knowing this mass lets researchers calculate an asteroid’s volume and density, which then sheds light on its composition and porosity. —Kate Graham-Shaw, Scientific American, 8 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

porosity

noun

po·​ros·​i·​ty pə-ˈräs-ət-ē 

pōr-ˈäs-,

pȯ-ˈräs-

plural porosities

: the quality or state of being porous

Medical Definition

porosity

noun

po·​ros·​i·​ty pə-ˈräs-ət-ē, pō-, pȯ- 

plural porosities

1

a

: the quality or state of being porous

b

: the ratio of the volume of interstices of a material to the volume of its mass

2

: pore