What does infusibility mean?
Infusibility is an uncommon noun meaning the quality or state of being infusible, chiefly the inability to receive an infusion or to be permeated by a liquid. Its use is generally formal or technical, and it tends to describe a property of a substance, material, or abstract entity rather than an action. In materials science and chemistry, the word can mark the fact that a substance will not dissolve, steep, or otherwise take in another substance under specified conditions. The related verb infuse means to pour or steep something into a liquid, or to introduce an idea or quality into a text or discourse. Infusibility is consequently associated with resistance to penetration or absorption rather than with an everyday personal trait. Because it is rare and abstract, it is more useful in precise technical description than in ordinary conversation. Its formation reflects the Latin verb infundere, meaning “to pour into,” combined with the English suffix -ity.
nounThe quality or state of being infusible; specifically, the inability to be infused, steeped, or permeated.
- The quality or state of being unable to be infused, steeped, or permeated.
"The report noted the infusibility of the plant material in hot water."
"The study compared the infusibility of the seeds with that of the dried leaves."
"The chemist noted the infusibility of the compound in water."
The plural is grammatically regular but rarely used because the noun itself is uncommon.
"The researchers documented the infusibilities of several resistant materials."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does infusibility come from?
Infusibility is an English formation based on infusible, which is derived from infuse plus the suffix -able. Infuse was borrowed from Latin infundere, “to pour into,” formed from in- (“into”) and fundere (“pour”). The related English forms infusion and infusible preserve the same Latin root.
How infusibility is actually used
A rare, formal, and often technical noun. It usually appears in abstract noun phrases describing the resistance of a substance or material to infusion, penetration, or absorption.