The tendency of liquids to rise or move through narrow tubes or spaces due to surface tension and adhesive forces, without being pumped.
From Latin capillaris 'hair-like' (literally referring to the hair-thin tubes capillaries resemble) plus -ity, a suffix forming abstract nouns. The term was coined in the 17th century when scientists studied this phenomenon in thin glass tubes.
Capillarity is why paper towels soak up spills, why plants pull water from soil, and why ancient Rome's aqueducts could work without pumps—it's one of nature's most useful invisible forces!
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