Consolidant

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A substance applied to weakened or crumbling material, such as stone, wood or a painting, to bind it and restore its strength
2. Any agent used in conservation work to firm up decaying or porous surfaces so they hold together again
3. A binding material that is brushed or injected into fragile objects to make their structure stable and durable

Etymology: "Consolidant" comes from Latin "consolidans," the present participle of "consolido," meaning "to make firm." Its root, "solidus," means "solid" or "whole," so the core idea is making something whole and secure. The Latin verb "consolidare" built on that same root, and English has a number of relatives that share it, including "solid" itself and "consolidate." The word reached English by way of French, where "consolidant" is also used. In its noun and adjective senses it refers to an agent or substance that makes something firm or hardens it, most often in medicine and surgery, where it describes something that promotes the healing and binding of tissue. The word therefore keeps the Latin sense of solidifying almost unchanged, applied to the body rather than to buildings or armies.