Emulsion
/ɪˈmʌl.ʃən/noun
A mixture of two liquids that normally do not mix, with one dispersed in the other.
Did you know?Emulsion comes from Latin emulgere, “to milk out,” because the word originally described drawing something out like milk from a cow — a surprisingly physical image behind a modern chemistry term.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*melg-
“to milk, to stroke, to wipe off”
Latin
Latin
mulgere / emulgere
“to milk; to milk out, extract”
Late Latin
Latin
emulsio
“a milking out; extraction”
16th Century
English
emulsion
“a milky fluid or extracted juice”
Modern English
English
emulsion
“a stable mixture of two immiscible liquids”
Explore more surprising origins