Rheology
/riːˈɒlədʒi/noun
The branch of physics that studies how matter flows and deforms.
Did you know?Its first element comes from Greek rheîn, the same ancient flow-root behind words like diarrhea and catarrh, so the science of fluids is literally named with a word-family obsessed with movement.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*srew-
“to flow, stream”
Ancient Greek
Greek
rheîn (ῥεῖν)
“to flow”
Ancient Greek
Greek
rheo- + -logia (ῥεο- + -λογία)
“flow + study, discourse”
Early 20th Century
English
rheology
“the study of the flow and deformation of matter”
Modern English
English
rheology
“the scientific study of how materials flow and deform”