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

But none has enough gravity to coagulate into a larger planet.

From Salon • May 10, 2023

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

From BBC • May 5, 2023

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

Plasma infusion is an approved use by the FDA in trauma settings or in patients whose blood doesn’t coagulate.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2019

After suctioning the mucus from my nostrils, she gave me a shot of vitamin K to coagulate my blood.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides