hydrophobe
C1/C2Technical/Scientific
Definition
Meaning
A substance that repels or fails to mix with water; a molecule or surface that is water-repellent.
Less commonly, it can refer to a person who has an irrational fear of water (aquaphobia). In chemistry and materials science, it denotes a physical property.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a technical term in chemistry, biology, and materials science. The '-phobe' suffix indicates 'fearing' or 'repelling', not just 'hating'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or meaning differences. Usage is identical across scientific communities.
Connotations
Purely technical and neutral in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in general English, but standard in scientific contexts in both regions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[hydrophobe] + [noun] (e.g., hydrophobe coating)[adjective] + [hydrophobe] (e.g., effective hydrophobe)[verb] + [as/ like a] + [hydrophobe] (e.g., behave as a hydrophobe)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None. It is not used idiomatically.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in marketing materials for waterproof products (e.g., 'This fabric has a built-in hydrophobe').
Academic
Common in chemistry, biology, materials science, and engineering papers discussing surface properties.
Everyday
Very rare. A layperson might say 'waterproof' or 'water-repellent' instead.
Technical
The primary domain. Used precisely to describe molecular interactions or surface treatments.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- This compound will hydrophobe the surface upon application.
- The treatment is designed to hydrophobe the fibres.
American English
- We need to hydrophobe this fabric to make it stain-resistant.
- The coating hydrophobes the glass effectively.
adverb
British English
- The surface reacted hydrophobely, beading the water.
- The particles were distributed hydrophobely within the matrix.
American English
- The material performed hydrophobely in all tests.
- It functions hydrophobely, repelling moisture completely.
adjective
British English
- The hydrophobe coating lasted for several washes.
- They studied the hydrophobe behaviour of the lipid layer.
American English
- The hydrophobe treatment is applied during manufacturing.
- We observed a strongly hydrophobe reaction.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The raincoat has a special layer called a hydrophobe to keep you dry.
- Wax on a car acts as a hydrophobe.
- Scientists developed a new hydrophobe to protect the electronic components from humidity.
- The hydrophobe causes water to form droplets instead of soaking in.
- The self-cleaning property of the leaf is due to a microscale hydrophobe on its surface.
- In polymer chemistry, introducing a fluorinated chain can turn a molecule into a powerful hydrophobe.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'hydrophobe' as a molecule that is **phobic** (fearful) of **hydro** (water), so it runs away from it, causing beads to form.
Conceptual Metaphor
FEAR/AVOIDANCE IS REPULSION (The 'phobe' part metaphorically extends the concept of fear to molecular behaviour).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'гидрофоб' (the direct equivalent in technical contexts is correct).
- The psychological term for fear of water in Russian is 'аквафобия' or 'гидрофобия' (the latter also means rabies), which can cause confusion. In English science, 'hydrophobe' is almost never used for the phobia.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'hydrophobe' to mean 'a person who dislikes swimming' (incorrect; use 'aquaphobe' or non-technical terms).
- Confusing 'hydrophobe' (the noun, the substance) with 'hydrophobic' (the adjective).
- Pronouncing the '-phobe' as /fɒb/ instead of /fəʊb/ (UK) or /foʊb/ (US).
Practice
Quiz
In which field is the term 'hydrophobe' MOST precisely and commonly used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. 'Hydrophobe' is a noun referring to the substance or agent itself. 'Hydrophobic' is an adjective describing the repelling property ('a hydrophobic coating').
It is technically possible but very rare and potentially confusing. The standard term for a person with a fear of water is 'aquaphobe'. 'Hydrophobe' is overwhelmingly used for materials in science.
The opposite is a 'hydrophile' or 'hydrophilic substance', which attracts or mixes readily with water.
In British English: /ˈhʌɪdrə(ʊ)fəʊb/ (HIGH-druh-fohb). In American English: /ˈhaɪdrəˌfoʊb/ (HIGH-druh-fohb). The stress is on the first syllable.