cholesteric
adjective
cho·le·ster·ic ˌkō-lə-ˈster-ik 
kə-ˈle-stə-rik
kə-ˈle-stə-rik : of, relating to, or being the phase of a liquid crystal characterized by arrangement of molecules in layers with the long molecular axes parallel to one another in the plane of each layer and incrementally displaced in successive layers to give helical stacking compare nematic, smectic
Word History
Etymology
cholesteric relating to cholesterol, from French cholesterique
First Known Use
1923, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
cholesteric
adjective
cho·les·ter·ic kə-ˈles-tə-rik; ˌkō-lə-ˈster-ik ˌkäl-ə-
ˌkäl-ə- : of, relating to, or resembling cholesterol or its derivatives