emulsion

Everyday

1. A mixture of two liquids that do not usually mix, such as oil and water, where tiny drops of one are spread through the other. tree →
2. (UK) Emulsion paint: a water-based paint for walls and ceilings. tree →
3. The light-sensitive coating on old photographic film. tree →

In the lessons

In science, emulsions show mixtures: mayonnaise, milk and salad dressing are emulsions; shaking oil and vinegar makes a short-lived one, and egg yolk helps hold it together. In everyday British life, people paint walls with «white emulsion». Phrases: «oil and water emulsion», «matt emulsion».

Examples

• Mayonnaise is an emulsion of oil and egg yolk. tree →
• Shake the dressing to make an emulsion. tree →
• Milk is an emulsion of fat in water. tree →
• The oil and vinegar separated when the emulsion settled. tree →
• Dad painted the ceiling with white emulsion. tree →
• Old cameras used film with a light-sensitive emulsion. tree →

Note

Countable or uncountable. Pronounced «ee-MUL-shun». Verb: emulsify; an emulsifier helps the two liquids stay mixed. In science, an emulsion is a type of mixture, not a solution: the liquids do not dissolve in each other.