What does the term 'hydrophobic' describe?

The term 'hydrophobic' specifically describes substances that do not dissolve in water. This characteristic is largely due to the molecular structure of hydrophobic substances, which tends to be nonpolar. In a polar solvent like water, hydrophobic molecules are unable to interact effectively because the polar water molecules prefer to cluster around each other rather than around the nonpolar substances. This leads to the immiscibility of hydrophobic substances with water, as they do not form hydrogen bonds or favorable interactions that would allow them to dissolve.

In contrast, substances that form hydrogen bonds are typically hydrophilic, as these interactions facilitate solubility in water. Electric conductivity in substances is related to their ionic or molecular structure and is not inherently linked to their hydrophobic properties. Likewise, the idea of solubility in all solvents does not align with the definition of hydrophobicity, since hydrophobic substances are specifically characterized by their lack of solubility in polar solvents like water.