coagulate

American  

[koh-ag-yuh-layt, koh-ag-yuh-lit, -layt] / koʊˈæg jəˌleɪt, koʊˈæg jə lɪt, -ˌleɪt /

verb (used with or without object)

• coagulates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• coagulated,
  past participle,  past
• coagulating
  present participle

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

• coagulating
  present
• coagulated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• coagulate
  simple
• coagulates
  simple
• have coagulated
  perfect
• has coagulated
  perfect
• am coagulating
  progressive
• are coagulating
  progressive
• is coagulating
  progressive
• have been coagulating
  perfect progressive
• has been coagulating
  perfect progressive

Past

• coagulated
  simple
• had coagulated
  perfect
• was coagulating
  progressive
• were coagulating
  progressive
• had been coagulating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will coagulate
  simple
• will have coagulated
  perfect
• will be coagulating
  progressive
• will have been coagulating
  perfect progressive

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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

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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

See Examples For:

coagulate coagulates coagulated coagulating

Rennet, an enzyme naturally present in the stomachs of ruminants, would prompt the milk to coagulate, separating into curds and whey, thus laying the groundwork for modern cheese production.

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2024

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

She waited for the blood to coagulate, and then she pressed the Band-Aid over the cut, drawing the sides of the cut together to seal the wound.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

But perhaps their unique feature is how their blood, which is bright blue, coagulates when exposed to harmful bacterial endotoxins, a feature that has kept them alive for about 450 million years.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 30, 2021

Gelatin sets on cooling because the hot aqueous mixture of gelatin coagulates as it cools, yielding an extremely viscous body known as a gel.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

Unfortunately, as Ms Yazji’s plot thickens, it coagulates.

From Economist ● Dec. 4, 2017

Biacuplasty coagulates the nerves in the discs, he says, and there’s a chance it may even help heal fissures or cracks in degenerated discs.

From US News ● Sep. 20, 2016

Criminologists had come to understand that blood coagulates at the lowest point of a body after death, producing dark splotches on the skin.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Baken and Baitz’s previous effort coagulated into some sorta cultural critique about the nation going to Hell, while “All’s Fair” celebrates some of the people sending us there in a shameless parade of gaudy excess.

From Salon ● Nov. 6, 2025

There the crowd coagulated, like at the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, awaiting selfie turns.

From New York Times ● Nov. 4, 2022

Today, the term has coagulated around the idea of a Type A self-motivated woman who derives strength from her conception of her gender.

From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2018

But something coagulated under coach Barry Melrose, and Gretzky cites an assist from two unlikely sources that helped them march back into Toronto.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2018

In the veins of turtles coursed a sweet lassi that had to be drunk as soon as it spurted from their necks, because it coagulated in less than a minute.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

He’ll certainly do the same thing about the blood coagulating at the bottom of his body.

From Slate ● Jul. 18, 2025

The Ohio Republican dipped an unjacketed shoulder through the coagulating throng and attempted to push through.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 6, 2023

Indeed, Yang was surprised to learn that so many had abandoned the pressing step, largely because commodity-manufactured tofu — made by coagulating soy milk then curling it on the tray — is saturated with liquid.

From Salon ● Nov. 13, 2022

Early tests involved coagulating macadamia, cashew, oat and almond milks.

From New York Times ● Apr. 16, 2021

The plates with pieces of steak ends and coagulating grease were on the floor, on top of the bookcases, under the bed.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck

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