liquefaction
American-
Chemistry The act or process of turning a gas into a liquid. Liquefaction is usually achieved by compression of vapors (provided the temperature of the gas is below the critical temperature), by refrigeration, or by adiabatic expansion.
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Geology The process by which sediment that is very wet starts to behave like a liquid. Liquefaction occurs because of the increased pore pressure and reduced effective stress between solid particles generated by the presence of liquid. It is often caused by severe shaking, especially that associated with earthquakes.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of liquefaction
1375–1425; late Middle English < Late Latin liquefactiōn- (stem of liquefactiō ) a melting, equivalent to Latin liquefact ( us ) (past participle of liquefacere to melt, liquefy ) + -iōn- -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Shell’s Groundbirch assets supply gas to the LNG Canada liquefaction operation, in which Shell owns a 40% stake, and to Canada’s domestic gas market.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
The recovery window is likely three to four years for Qatar’s liquefied-natural-gas trains — liquefaction units that produce LNG — which were damaged by Iranian attacks, she said.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026
Wider spreads between U.S. gas and international benchmarks improve the economics of liquefaction and increase the value of export capacity.
From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026
This makes them very vulnerable to a process called liquefaction.
From BBC • Mar. 29, 2025
In the end, most of the severe damage caused by the quake was the result of liquefaction.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
