Definition

Noun: A very thin tube with a small internal diameter; it holds or transports liquid primarily through the force of capillary action.

Usage

This term is used in scientific and technical contexts, particularly in physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine, to describe a narrow tube where liquid moves against gravity due to adhesive and cohesive forces. * In the laboratory, the scientist used a capillary tube to collect a tiny blood sample. * The movement of water in soil is similar to liquid rising in a capillary tube.

Advanced Usage

• Capillary Action (Capillarity): The physical principle that explains how liquid flows in a capillary tube. It is the combined effect of adhesion (liquid sticking to the tube walls) and cohesion (liquid molecules sticking to each other).
  • Plants rely on capillary action to draw water from their roots up to their leaves.

Variants and Related Words

• Capillary (noun): Often used interchangeably with "capillary tube," but can also refer to the smallest blood vessels in the body.
  • The doctor examined the capillaries in the patient's eye.
• Capillary (adjective): Describing something related to or resembling a capillary tube.
  • The capillary rise of water in the paper was evident.

Synonyms

• Hairline tube
• Fine-bore tube
• Microtube

Related Phrases

• Capillary rise/effect: The phenomenon of liquid ascending in a narrow tube or porous material.
  • The experiment demonstrated capillary rise in tubes of different diameters.

Noun

1. a tube of small internal diameter; holds liquid by capillary action