thixotropy, reversible behaviour of certain gels that liquefy when they are shaken, stirred, or otherwise disturbed and reset after being allowed to stand. Thixotropy occurs in paint, such as lithopone in oil, which flows freely when stirred and reverts to a gel-like state on standing. Quicksand, a mixture of sand and water, is rendered thixotropic by the presence of certain clays. Drilling mud, made thixotropic by the inclusion of bentonite, forms a cake on the wall of the drill hole to keep drilling fluid in the hole and to prevent outside water from entering.