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surface tension

Surface tension is a property of liquids where the exposed surface shrinks to the smallest possible area because of unequal forces near the surface.

(noun)

An example of surface tension is a property of water in a bowl.

See surface tension in Webster's New World College Dictionary

a property of liquids in which the exposed surface tends to contract to the smallest possible area because of unequal molecular cohesive forces near the surface: measured by the force per unit of length

See surface tension in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A property of liquids arising from unbalanced molecular cohesive forces at or near the surface, as a result of which the surface tends to contract and has properties resembling those of a stretched elastic membrane.
A measure of this property.

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