1. plural of capillarity; the quality or state of being capillary, or the phenomenon by which a liquid rises or is drawn into a narrow tube or porous material against gravity due to surface tension and adhesive forces.
Usage: technical/scientific term; commonly used in physics, chemistry, and materials science

Examples

• The capillarities of different liquids vary depending on their surface tension and the material of the container.
• Water's capillarities allow it to rise through soil and plant roots, delivering nutrients to plants.
• Engineers must account for capillarities when designing materials that will interact with liquids.
• The capillarities observed in paper towels explain why they absorb water so effectively.
• Scientists study capillarities to understand how fluids behave in confined spaces.