micelle
noun/maɪˈsɛl/
Frequency rank: #19,852 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)
Meaning
A microscopic spherical cluster formed by surfactant molecules in a liquid, with hydrophobic tails pointing inward and hydrophilic heads facing outward.
Example sentence
When soap is added to water, the molecules arrange themselves so that each micelle traps grease inside its structure.
Synonyms & related words
More words in ranks 19,801–19,900
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