coagulate

American  

[koh-ag-yuh-leyt, koh-ag-yuh-lit, -leyt] / koʊˈæg yəˌleɪt, koʊˈæg yə lɪt, -ˌleɪt /

verb (used with or without object)

coagulated, coagulating

1. to change from a fluid into a thickened mass; curdle; congeal.

   Let the pudding stand two hours until it coagulates.

   Synonyms:

   thicken, solidify, set, clot

2. Biology. (of blood) to form a clot.

3. Physical Chemistry. (of colloidal particles) to flocculate or cause to flocculate by adding an electrolyte to an electrostatic colloid.

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adjective

1. Obsolete. coagulated.

coagulate British  

/ kəʊˈæɡjʊlətɪv /

verb

1. to cause (a fluid, such as blood) to change into a soft semisolid mass or (of such a fluid) to change into such a mass; clot; curdle

2. chem to separate or cause to separate into distinct constituent phases

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noun

1. the solid or semisolid substance produced by coagulation

Other Word Forms

• anticoagulating
  adjective
• anticoagulation
  noun
• coagulability
  noun
• coagulable
  adjective
• coagulation
  noun
• coagulative
  adjective
• coagulatory
  adjective
• noncoagulating
  adjective
• noncoagulation
  noun
• noncoagulative
  adjective
• recoagulate
  verb
• recoagulation
  noun
• uncoagulated
  adjective
• uncoagulating
  adjective
• uncoagulative
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of coagulate

1350–1400 for earlier past participle senses “solidified, clotted,” 1605–15 coagulate for def. 1; Middle English < Latin coāgulāt ( us ) (past participle of coāgulāre ), equivalent to coāgul ( um ) coagulum + -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

When liquid starts to thicken and become solid, it coagulates. When you get a cut, the blood flowing from the wound will coagulate: it will start to clot and form a solid scab so you will stop bleeding. Many liquids have the potential to coagulate. If the cream you just poured into your coffee is spoiled, you'll see the cream coagulate as it curdles into little floating chunks. If someone has a heart condition that may result in a heart attack, he or she might take medication that keeps the blood in the arteries from coagulating, or dangerously thickening.

Example Sentences

GMO microbial rennet produces a specific enzyme called chymosin, which helps coagulate milk and form curds.

From Salon • May 9, 2023

But anger, irritation and a fear of imminent defeat can coagulate in ways individuals often can't control.

From BBC • May 5, 2023

Galleries tend to coagulate around other galleries, maximizing foot traffic.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 27, 2022

In the early 2000s, the Washington Aqueduct came under fire again for releasing high amounts of alum, a substance used to coagulate sediments to filter them from the water, into the Potomac River.

From Washington Post • Jan. 15, 2022

Passing them in silence down that silent corridor through the drifting ash where they struggled forever in the road’s cold coagulate.

From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy