wetting agent
- noun
- /ˈwɛtɪŋ ˈeɪdʒənt/
- Specialized
:
agente humectante
- Farmers spray it in a mix with water and a wetting agent.
Examples
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Resnick often recommends Acuvue Oasys because they have added wetting agents to help keep the eyes moist.
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DIF gel or liquid wallpaper stripper has wetting agents and enzymes that break down glue for easy wallpaper removal.
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To avoid this, it helps to coat the pressure plate with a wetting agent using a piece of cotton.
Academic text (1995) -
We're prepping the wetting agents on that to start the process.
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PHOTO (COLOR): Northwest Fire District's Captain John Estes of Tucson, Arizona, uses a wide spray of water and chemical wetting agent as a means of subduing Africanized honey bees.
Academic text (2004) -
A soil-based mix is far easier to wet again if it should become excessively dry, though nowadays you can include wetting agents in your potting mixes.
Synonyms
3
8.5
A chemical that makes a liquid spread and mix more easily
A chemical that makes a liquid spread more easily on a surface
A chemical in soaps and detergents that helps water mix with oil
How Effective
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositionally transparent: 'wetting' (the act or process of making something wet) plus 'agent' (a substance that causes an effect) directly yields 'a substance that causes or facilitates wetting.' Although the term is somewhat technical (referring specifically to lowering surface tension), a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer the general meaning.
Etymology
The name wetting agent tells what it does: wetting means making a surface wet and agent means a substance that does it. Imagine water forming small drops on a leaf; a wetting agent makes those drops spread into a thin layer so they cover or soak in better, so the name means 'a substance that helps a liquid spread or soak in'.