Hermetic
/hɜrˈmɛtɪk/
adjectiveC1
Definition
Hermetic describes something that is tightly closed, so nothing can get inside or outside. It is often used for containers or spaces that keep air or water out. It can also mean something secret or difficult to understand because it is very private or hidden.
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See It in Action
Sealed tightly so no air or liquid can enter or escape
- •The medicine was kept in a hermetic container to keep it fresh.
- •The submarine's hermetic doors protect it from water pressure.
- •The jar was hermetic, so the food inside stayed good for months.
Very private, secret, or difficult to understand
- •The scientist's notes were hermetic and hard for others to read.
- •His ideas are hermetic, understood only by a few experts.
- •The novel is full of hermetic references that only some readers get.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'hermetic' like 'closed,' but much stronger—like a jar with a lid that no air or water can pass through
- ✓Picture a glass jar with a rubber seal that keeps food fresh by not letting any air in or out
- ✓It's the feeling of being alone in a quiet, locked room where no one can hear or enter
- ✓Sounds like 'her-MET-ic' → imagine a metal box that is completely locked tight so nothing leaks
- ✓Think of a secret diary that only you can open—no one else can see inside, very private and hidden
- ✓NOT like 'closed' (which can be open a little), 'hermetic' means perfectly sealed with no openings at all
- ✓NOT like 'open' or 'leaky' where air or water can move freely
- ✓NOT like 'simple' or 'clear'—hermetic can also mean something hard to understand because it is secret or private
Try Other Words
- •Airtight: completely closed so no air can enter or escape (Use when talking about containers or spaces that keep air out)
- •Closed: not open (Use for general situations when something is shut but not necessarily perfectly sealed)
- •Secret: kept hidden or private (Use when emphasizing privacy or difficulty to understand)
- •Impenetrable: impossible to enter or understand (Use when focusing on something very hard to understand or access)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "hermet-" (from Hermes) + "-ic" (adjective ending)
- •Etymology: From Greek god Hermes Trismegistus, linked to secret knowledge and alchemy
- •Historical development: Originally related to alchemy and secret writings, now means airtight or very private/secret
- •Modern usage: Used to describe perfectly sealed containers or something very private, secret, or hard to understand
Reflect & Connect
•How can something be both physically sealed and mentally "sealed" or private at the same time?
•Can you think of situations where being hermetic is good, and others where it might be a problem?
Fill in the blanks
1.The scientist stored the chemicals in a hermetic container to ___ contamination and keep them safe.
2.When a room is hermetic, no ___ or sound can easily enter or leave.
3.His writing was so hermetic that only experts could ___ its meaning.
4.The jar was hermetic, meaning it was tightly ___ so nothing could get in or out.
5.A hermetic seal is important for food storage because it prevents ___ from spoiling the food.
6.The hermetic nature of the secret meeting meant that no ___ could learn about it.
7.Unlike a simple closed door, a hermetic seal prevents even ___ from passing through.