supercool

American  

[soo-per-kool] / ˌsu pərˈkul /

verb (used with object)

1. to cool (a liquid) below its freezing point without producing solidification or crystallization; undercool.

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verb (used without object)

1. to become supercooled.

adjective

1. very cool in temperature, especially of the maximum coolness possible: used as a setting on air conditioners.

2. Slang. very cool; very sophisticated, up-to-date, unemotional, etc.

supercool British  

/ ˌsuːpəˈkuːl /

verb

1. chem to cool or be cooled without freezing or crystallization to a temperature below that at which freezing or crystallization should occur. Supercooled liquids are not in equilibrium

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supercool Scientific  

/ so̅o̅′pər-ko̅o̅l′ /

1. To cool a substance below a phase-transition temperature without the transition occurring. For example, water can be cooled well below the freezing point without freezing (as often happens in the upper atmosphere); the introduction of an impurity or surface can then trigger freezing. Supercooling is an example of hysteresis.

2. Compare superheat

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Etymology

Origin of supercool

First recorded in 1905–10; super- + cool

Example Sentences

On the other side of the country, Boris Rubinsky had the idea that higher pressures might help him supercool organs without damage.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 21, 2023

LNG is not only linked to methane leakage, but takes large amounts of energy to supercool and ship, adding to its carbon footprint.

From Reuters • Mar. 3, 2023

“It’s a supercool study,” said Itsik Pe’er, a computational geneticist at Columbia University who was not involved in the research.

From New York Times • Nov. 30, 2022

To me, that is a supercool scientific puzzle: Why is it that sometimes adolescents do not show this peak in sensitivity to things that are rewarding, whether it’s risk-taking or helping others?

From Washington Post • Aug. 9, 2022

He was one of those guys who was supercool, crazy fly, and girls had a thing for his shaved head.

From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds