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Glite Dictionary
hermetic

hermetic

4 8.9
Completely closed so no air or water can get in
  • adjective
  • /hɜrˈmɛtɪk/
translation icon : hermético
  • So what we've came up with is this hermetic seal rubber gasket here.
  • hermetic separation
  • hermetic riddle

Why, as a bargain to get whiteness, to get access, to become part of, you know that word hermetic means sealed off, right?

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Examples

  • One method of reducing this sensitivity is to place resonators in a hermetic package.

    Academic text (2003)

  • So goodness, the hermetic seal has been broken.

  • The chambers are hermetic vaults.

    Angels & Demons (2009)

  • We also manufacture a wide range of hermetic bimetallic products for both vacuum and cryogenics.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Inman tried to picture himself living in a similarly hermetic, stark, and lonesome refuge on Cold Mountain.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • In this sense, third-person narration is hermetic, for it is closed discourse.

    Academic text (2003)

  • The brochure describes Haydon's linear, rotary, and oscillating motors and hermetic switches.

    Academic text (1994)

  • The food will stay fresh for longer if you store it in a hermetic container.

  • The hermetic seal on the bottle prevents any air from getting in.

  • To protect the components, we used a hermetic enclosure that keeps out dust and moisture.

Synonyms

airtight
vshermetic
19 3.9

Completely closed so no air can get in or out

is also impervious to outside influence beyond merely stopping air flow
impermeable
vshermetic
4 6.6

Not allowing water or air to pass through

describes complete sealing and resistance to outside influence rather than material property
air-tight
vshermetic
1 3.0

Completely sealed so no air can get in or out

is broader, adding resistance to outside influence beyond simple air barrier
gas-tight
vshermetic
1 5.8

Completely closed so no gas can get in or out

is more general, covering sealing and resistance to outside influence

Antonyms

open
∞ 1.0

Not closed so people or things can go through

How Sealed

hermetic
4 8.9
sealed
2.5

Surface Forms

hermetic positive
hermetical positive

Morphology

hermetic = Hermes (opaque) = hermet + ic

Although formed from the name Hermes with the adjectival suffix '-ic', the modern sense 'airtight, completely sealed' is a specialized, metaphorical extension not derivable by an average learner from the base and suffix.

Etymology

The word hermetic comes from the name Hermes, as in the ancient figure Hermes Trismegistus who was linked to alchemy and hidden knowledge. Alchemists often closed their jars so tightly they were said to be 'sealed' by Hermes, so hermetic now means completely 'sealed' or 'airtight'.