filterable

filterable

The scientist tests if the solution is filterable.

Definition
  1. Adjective:
    • Capable of being filtered: "filterable" describes a substance or particle that can be removed or separated by passing through a filter, such as a porous material or a membrane.
    • Able to pass through a filter: In microbiology or chemistry, "filterable" can refer to particles (e.g., viruses or small molecules) that are small enough to pass through the pores of a filter.
Usage Examples
  • (Impurities that can be filtered out.)
  • (They are small enough to go through a filter.)
Advanced Usage
  • "Filterable virus": an older term for a virus that could pass through a filter that retained bacteria, now simply called a "virus."
    • Early 20th-century scientists discovered filterable agents that caused diseases like tobacco mosaic. (These were later identified as viruses.)
  • "Filterable particulate matter": in environmental science, solid or liquid particles in the air or water that can be captured by a filter.
    • The air quality report measured filterable particulates smaller than 2.5 micrometers. (Particles that can be collected on a filter.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Filter (noun/verb): a device or process for removing solids from a fluid; the act of passing through a filter.
    • She used a coffee filter to strain the grounds. (A porous paper filter.)
  • Filtration (noun): the process of passing a liquid or gas through a filter.
    • Filtration is a key step in water purification. (The action of filtering.)
  • Filterability (noun): the property of being filterable.
    • The filterability of the solution was tested by measuring flow rate. (How easily it can be filtered.)
Synonyms
  • Strainable: capable of being strained through a sieve or cloth.
  • Sieveable: able to pass through or be separated by a sieve (less common).
Related Idioms
  • Filter out: to remove something unwanted by passing through a filter (also used metaphorically).
    • The system filters out spam emails automatically. (It removes them.)
  • Filter through: to pass gradually through a barrier or system.
    • News of the event filtered through the crowd. (It spread slowly.)