Fluidises

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To cause a solid material to behave like a liquid by introducing motion or vibration; to transform a substance into a flowing or malleable state through external agitation; to render particles suspended and free-moving within a medium resulting in liquid-like dynamics
2. To induce a change in a compact mass so that it flows similarly to a liquid; to make a firm medium become mobile and liquefied by mechanical action; to convert a clustered solid into a fluid-like suspension by applying energy or movement
3. To alter the structure of a solid so that it assumes properties of a liquid through agitation or force; to enable a granular or particulate assembly to move freely as a fluid; to promote the transition of a firm aggregate into a mobile, flowing condition by external influence

Etymology: "Fluidises" is the third-person singular present of "fluidise", a verb that describes making a solid material act like a liquid, usually by blowing gas or vibrating particles through it. The verb is built from "fluid", which comes from Latin "fluidus", "flowing", a derivative of "fluere", "to flow", and the suffix "-ise", which turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning "to make or become" something. So the word simply means "to make fluid," with the technical sense of loosening a mass of grains until it flows. The verb itself is a plain formation from its two parts rather than a term with a dramatic backstory. Its sense has narrowed over time: "fluid" in ordinary speech refers to liquids, but "fluidise" has attached itself to engineering and chemistry, where it describes powdered solids suspended in rising gas so that they behave like a liquid.

Synonyms: liquefies, melts, flows, dissolves, softens

Antonyms: solidifies, freezes, hardens, congeals, thickens