1. n. [Drilling Fluids]

Prevention, arrest or slowing down of any action. For example, one can inhibit a corrosion process by coating drillpipe with amine films to arrest pipe corrosion in air. In drilling fluids, the terms inhibit, inhibition and inhibitive mud system refer to arresting or slowing the hydration, swelling and disintegration of clays and shales.

See: activity of aqueous solutions,  calcium mud,  clay swelling,  clay-water interaction,  drilling fluid,  oil mud,  potassium mud,  shale