noun-modifying (irregular)
hydrophobic; water-repellent
Only when written 疎水
Scientific term describing a substance or surface that repels water. Antonym: 親水 (hydrophilic).
Antonyms: 親水
This coating is highly hydrophobic.
Agricultural canals run throughout this area.
The drainage channel is about to overflow due to the heavy rain.
Water droplets are repelled on a hydrophobic surface.
Standard kanji spelling for both the canal/drainage and hydrophobic senses.
Variant kanji form for the canal/drainage sense; 疎 is the modern standard.
From 疎 (sparse, distant) + 水 (water). The canal sense derives from the idea of diverting water; the hydrophobic sense is a modern scientific coinage.