Hydrophobic
Definition
Hydrophobic refers to substances that repel or do not mix with water.
Analogy
Think of hydrophobic substances like oil in a salad dressing. No matter how much you shake the bottle, the oil (hydrophobic) and vinegar (water-based) will always separate.
Related terms
Lipophilic: Refers to the ability of a chemical compound to dissolve in fats, oils, lipids, and non-polar solvents.
Hydrophilic: Describes substances that are attracted to water and can be dissolved by it.
Amphipathic: Refers to molecules having both hydrophilic (water-attracting) and hydrophobic (water-repelling) parts.
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