noun, verb ·3 syllables ·Uncommon ·College level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A stable suspension of small droplets of one liquid in another with which it is immiscible.

   "Mayonnaise is an emulsion where egg is used to keep oil and water mixed."

2. 2
   a light-sensitive coating on paper or film; consists of fine grains of silver bromide suspended in a gelatin wordnet
3. 3
   A colloid in which both phases are liquid. physical
4. 4
   (chemistry) a colloid in which both phases are liquids wordnet
5. 5
   The coating of photosensitive silver halide grains in a thin gelatine layer on a photographic film.

Verb

1. 1
   To paint with emulsion paint. transitive

Synonyms

All synonyms

backingbibliofilmbipackblack-and-white filmcartridgecolloid

Example

More examples

"Mayonnaise is an emulsion of oil, egg yolks, and either vinegar or lemon juice."

Etymology

Borrowed from French émulsion, from New Latin ēmulsiō, ēmulsiōnis, based on Latin ēmulgeō (“I milk out, extract”).

Related phrases

asphalt emulsiondouble emulsionemulsion paintemulsion polymerizationphotographic emulsionsolid emulsion

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.