noun
- the tendency of a liquid to rise in narrow tubes or to be drawn into small openings due to surface tension
Usage: physics; chemistry
Examples
- Capillarity allows water to move up through the stems of plants.
- The oil lamp works by capillarity drawing fuel up the wick.
- Paper towels absorb spills through capillarity.
- Capillarity causes water to climb up the sides of a narrow glass tube.
- The phenomenon of capillarity is essential for many biological processes.
- Scientists study capillarity to understand fluid behavior in small spaces.