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Glite Dictionary
🦵 Knee cartilage 💧 Curved liquid surface 🔍 Curved lens
meniscus

meniscus

1 8.6
A curved top surface of a liquid in a tube that shows the level
  • noun
  • /məˈnɪskəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : menisco
  • To ensure precision, keep your eye level with the meniscus when taking measurements in a graduated cylinder.

Examples

  • Examples abound: The curving meniscus in test tubes and the soaking up of liquids by a sponge reflect the balance between the adhesive forces between the walls and the liquid and the cohesive forces or surface tension of the liquid.

    Academic text (2006)

  • The driving force for this flow is the pressure rise across the meniscus formed in the wick.

    Academic text (1997)

  • OK, so we're going to have to measure rate from the bottom of the meniscus here and stop.

  • And wait till the bottom of the meniscus is at that line.

    John Tucker Must Die (2006)

  • So there's still slight meniscus there, but it's going away.

  • When measuring liquids, always read the level at the bottom of the meniscus for accurate results.

  • The curved surface of the meniscus shows how surface tension affects liquid in a container.

Surface Forms

meniscus singular
meniscuses plural
menisci plural

Etymology

Meniscus comes from the Greek meniskos, which means 'small moon' or 'crescent'. So the little curved surface of a liquid in a tube looks like a tiny moon, and that is why we call that curve the meniscus.