Congelations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Plural forms of the process of freezing or solidifying a liquid into a firm state ; the solid masses or clots that result when a fluid thickens and hardens
2. Instances of liquids turning solid through cold or chilling ; lumps or thickened masses formed when a fluid coagulates and sets
3. Cases of becoming firm or solid through cooling or thickening ; the congealed clumps or jellied bodies that a liquid leaves after it sets

Etymology: Congelation is the plural of a noun that entered English by way of Middle French "congelation," which came from Latin "congelatio," a noun built on the verb "congelo," meaning to freeze thoroughly or harden through cold. The Latin verb itself combines "con-," an intensifying prefix, with "gelo," to freeze, so the word carries the sense of cold working on something until it is fully solid. In English the noun has always been used in two closely linked ways. It can name the process by which a liquid turns solid through cold, or the lumps and thickened masses that form when a fluid coagulates and sets. The plural form therefore usually refers to several such formations, rather than to a single act of freezing.

Synonyms: freezing, congealing, solidification

Antonyms: melting, thawing, liquefaction