decalescence

American

[dee-kuh-les-uhns] / ˌdi kəˈlɛs əns /

noun

Metallurgy.

absorption of heat without a corresponding increase in temperature when a metal has been heated to a critical point.

decalescence British

/ ˌdiːkəˈlɛsəns /

noun

the absorption of heat when a metal is heated through a particular temperature range, caused by a change in internal crystal structure

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

decalescent

adjective

Etymology

Origin of decalescence

1890–95; < Latin dēcalēsc ( ent- ) (stem of dēcalēscēns ) becoming warm ( see de-, calescent) + -ence

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023