osmotic pressure

noun

, Physical Chemistry.

1. the force that a dissolved substance exerts on a semipermeable membrane, through which it cannot penetrate, when separated by it from pure solvent.

osmotic pressure

noun

1. the pressure necessary to prevent osmosis into a given solution when the solution is separated from the pure solvent by a semipermeable membrane

Word History and Origins

Origin of osmotic pressure¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Variables that could affect the viability of the viral membrane could include changes in osmotic pressure, evaporation rates, and pH, Shaman says.

From Science Magazine

It is just human population diffusing by osmotic pressure.

From New York Times

Low levels can be insufficient to modulate blood flow or osmotic pressure, while excessively high levels can have a negative restrictive effect on blood low.

From The Guardian

Companies may be dealing with the “osmotic pressure of cash” in their wallets, as CLSA’s Nicholas Smith puts it.

From Wall Street Journal

Apply sufficient physical pressure to the brine, though, to overcome the osmotic pressure, and H2O will go the other way—which is a neat trick if you want to desalinate seawater.

From Economist