word of the day: schliere

The word of the day is schliere:

Etymology:  German, < regional Schliere (feminine) striæ, streaks, corresponding to Schlier (masculine) marl, < early new High German schlier (masculine and neuter), < Middle High German slier mud, related to Middle High German slier, sliere ulcer, < Old High German sclierrun (dative plural). 

 

b. A zone or stratum in a transparent medium whose density differs sufficiently from that of the surrounding medium for it to be detectable by refraction anomalies, usu. in consequence of pressure or temperature differences or composition inhomogeneities. (OED)

 

"With the introduction of the phase plate into the schlieren optical system and the development of double sector cells and synthetic boundary cells along with refinements in theory, great strides have been made in the accuracy of the determination of sedimentation coefficients (for a detailed account of these developments see reference 2)."

 - Howard K. Schachman, "Deductions from Hydrodynamic and Thermodynamic Measurements", Brookhaven Symposia in Biology 13:49 (1960)