Tween, n. Biochem.
(twiːn)
Also tween.
[Of unknown origin.]
A proprietary name for any of a class of polyoxyethylene derivatives of fatty acid esters of sorbitan, several of which are extensively used as emulsifiers, solubilizers, and surfactants. Freq. identified by a following numeral (orig. as Tween 60).
| 1941 Official Gaz. (U.S. Patent Office) 8 July 257/2 Tween. For emulsifying, wetting, and dispersing agents. Claims use since Apr. 25, 1941. 1945 Proc. Soc. Exper. Biol. & Med. LVIII. 361/2 The present report deals only with the product marketed under the name of Tween 60. 1947 Sun (Baltimore) 15 May 3/2 Tuberculosis bacteria thrive so wonderfully in ‘tween’ that it is possible..to start a germ colony with only one tuberculosis germ. 1949 Trade Marks Jrnl. 16 Mar. 228/1 Tween... Emulsifying, wetting and dispersing agents...—18th August, 1947. 1962 Proc. R. Soc. B. CLVI. 521 The pellets were taken up in a solution of ‘Tween 80’ (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monoleate..) in distilled water. 1970 G. L. Fenton tr. Jellinek's Formulation & Function Cosmetics iv. 158 Tweens are mostly used with small amounts of ‘Spans’ as auxiliary emulsifying agents. 1976 Biochim. & Biophys. Acta CDLV. 799 Pre-extraction with Tween 20 has previously been successfully used in studies on cytochrome b-561 from chromaffin granule membranes. 1987 A. H. Rose in Rose & Harrison Yeasts (ed. 2) II. ii. 19 They..had earlier found that triangular shapes could also be induced by Tween 80, but not by other members of the Tween series. |