Jellifying

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Changing a liquid or mixture so that it becomes thick and gelatinous in texture
2. The process of turning a fluid or semi-fluid material into a jelly-like form by setting or thickening
3. Causing a substance to solidify slightly and acquire a consistency resembling gelatin or jelly

Etymology: "Jellifying" is the present participle of "jellify," which is simply "jelly" with the suffix "-fy" attached. The suffix comes from Latin "-ficare," meaning "to make," and entered English through Old French, so the whole word means roughly "to make into jelly." Jelly itself traces back to Latin "gelare," "to freeze," which is why a word for a wobbly dessert and a word for freezing share a root. The "-fy" ending gives the word its tidy, workmanlike quality: English has built many verbs this way, such as "beautify," "simplify," and "terrify," and it is the standard tool for turning a noun into an action. "Jellify" is a straightforward formation of this kind, and the present participle "jellifying" follows the regular pattern of dropping nothing and adding "-ing."

Synonyms: gelatinizing, thickening

Antonyms: liquefying