Definition

Sealed completely and airtight; also refers to esoteric or mysterious knowledge, or something impervious to outside influence or understanding. Originally derived from Hermes Trismegistus, a legendary figure associated with alchemy and occult philosophy.

Example Usage

The hermetic seal on the container kept the contents fresh for months.

Origin

From Hermes Trismegistus (Hermes the Thrice-Great), a syncretic figure from Hellenistic Egypt; the term 'hermetic' was later applied to airtight seals in the 17th century.

Fun Fact

The phrase 'hermetically sealed' became common in the 1900s for laboratory and industrial containers, though the philosophical sense dates back centuries earlier.

Source: Definition backfill (hailey)

Related Terms

Beginner

first-cousin-3X-removed

A genealogical term for a distant relative who shares a common ancestor several generations back (also written as first-cousin-thrice-removed). They're family in the technical sense, but you probably won't recognize them at reunions.

🎓 Education / Academia
Beginner

stalactite

A mineral formation hanging from the ceiling of a cave, created by the gradual accumulation of mineral-rich water dripping from above. Stalactites grow downward over thousands of years and are typically composed of calcite or other minerals.

🎓 Education / Academia
Beginner

backstitch

A sewing technique that proves you're serious about fabric commitment—the stitch goes backward on top to create an ironclad seam that laughs in the face of thread-breaking mishaps. It's the dental floss of the sewing world: tight, secure, and surprisingly satisfying to execute.

🎓 Education / Academia
Advanced

klik

An ingressive clicking sound made by coarticulating a velar or uvular closure—the noise that dolphins use to communicate and that linguists use to confuse everyone else. It's a sound, but make it linguistic.

🎓 Education / Academia
Intermediate

to save your sinking Titanic

A dramatic metaphor for desperately attempting to salvage a catastrophically failing academic semester through last-minute heroics. Like rearranging deck chairs on the actual Titanic, these efforts often involve cramming, begging professors for extra credit, and questioning every life choice that led to this moment. Spoiler alert: sometimes the ship just goes down anyway.

🎓 Education / Academia
Intermediate

Morphology

The study of the form, structure, and shape of organisms, objects, or linguistic elements, examining how their components are organized and arranged. In linguistics, it specifically refers to the system of word formation and the internal structure of words.

🎓 Education / Academia

Translate This Term

See “Hermetic” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on XShare on FacebookShare on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Beginner

objectives

Corporate-speak for goals that are supposedly measurable, achievable, and aligned with company vision, but in reality ar...