What is the term for the tendency of a liquid to rise against gravity in a narrow tube?

The correct term for the tendency of a liquid to rise against gravity in a narrow tube is capillary action. This phenomenon occurs due to the combination of cohesive forces (the attraction between molecules of the liquid) and adhesive forces (the attraction between the liquid molecules and the walls of the tube). In a narrow tube, the adhesive forces are strong enough to pull the liquid up against the force of gravity, resulting in the liquid climbing the walls of the tube.

Surface tension is related but specifically refers to the cohesive forces that cause the surface of a liquid to behave like a stretched elastic membrane. Fluid dynamics encompasses the study of how fluids move, but it does not specifically refer to the rise of liquid in a tube. Hydric pressure relates to the pressure exerted by a fluid at rest due to gravity and does not describe the upward movement of liquid in narrow spaces. Therefore, capillary action is the most accurate term for the described behavior of liquids in narrow tubes.