1. n. [Drilling Fluids]
A mud that slows or stops hydration, swelling and disintegration of shales. A variety of mud types have been labeled as "inhibitive muds." The degree of inhibition is not quantitative, but qualitatively they range from highly inhibitive (balanced-activity oil muds), moderately inhibitive (potassium muds and silicate muds), fairly inhibitive (calcium-based fluids) to slightly inhibitive (lignosulfonate, lignite water muds) to non-inhibitive (freshwater, nontreated muds).
See: balanced-activity oil mud, calcium mud, clay, clay-water interaction, drilling fluid, hydration, inhibit, lignosulfonate, oil mud, potassium mud, shale, silicate mud