Dictionary.com

efflorescence

[ ef-luh-res-uhns ]
/ ˌɛf ləˈrɛs əns /
Save This Word!

noun
the state or a period of flowering.
an example or result of growth and development: These works are the efflorescence of his genius.
Chemistry.
  1. the act or process of efflorescing.
  2. the resulting powdery substance or incrustation.
Pathology. a rash or eruption of the skin.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of efflorescence

1620–30; <French <Medieval Latin efflōrēscentia.See effloresce, -ence

Words nearby efflorescence

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use efflorescence in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for efflorescence

efflorescence
/ (ˌɛflɔːˈrɛsəns) /

noun
a bursting forth or flowering
chem geology
  1. the process of efflorescing
  2. the powdery substance formed as a result of this process, esp on the surface of rocks
any skin rash or eruption

Derived forms of efflorescence

efflorescent, adjective
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

Scientific definitions for efflorescence

efflorescence
[ ĕf′lə-rĕsəns ]

A whitish, powdery deposit on the surface of rocks or soil in dry regions. It is formed as mineral-rich water rises to the surface through capillary action and then evaporates. Efflorescence usually consists of gypsum, salt, or calcite.
See anthesis.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK