https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08809
Reversible change in the apparent viscosity of a liquid system such as suspension of polar or good polarizable microparticles in an oil, upon exposure of an electric field.
Note: Interaction of electric dipoles induced on suspended particles produces strands of particles spanning between electrodes, which results in a giant increase in the viscosity of the suspension (up to five orders of magnitude) during its exposure to an electric field.