Jellify

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To cause a substance to turn into a jelly-like or gelatinous form
2. To transform a liquid or mixture into a semi-solid, gel-like state
3. To change the texture of a material by making it thick and jelly-like

Etymology: "Jellify" is a plain combination of two English parts: the noun "jelly" and the suffix "-fy," which turns a noun into a verb meaning "to make into" or "to become." So "jellify" means to make something into jelly, or to thicken into a gel. The suffix does most of the work here. "-fy" came into English through Old French from Latin "-ficare," itself built from "facere," meaning "to make" or "to do." That same ending appears in older words such as "magnify," "simplify," and "solidify," all of which follow the same pattern of turning a base into a verb of making. "Jelly" has a more layered past. It was borrowed into English from Old French "gelée," meaning a frozen or jellied thing, and that French word traces back to Latin "gelare," "to freeze." So the word "jellify" carries the idea of freezing within its base, though the modern sense concerns setting and thickening rather than cold.

Synonyms: gelatinize, set, thicken

Antonyms: liquefy, dissolve