Meaning & use
Dilatancy
Last updated
The property of certain granular or suspension materials to increase in volume or become more solid when subjected to shear stress or pressure.
See it in a sentence
The dilatancy of wet sand explains why it feels firm underfoot only when you press on it.
Engineers studied the dilatancy of the soil before designing the building's foundation.
A note on using this word
Dilatancy explains the classic "oobleck" phenomenon, in which a cornstarch-and-water mixture behaves like a solid under sudden pressure but flows like a liquid when left still.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Dilatancy”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.