Levigators

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An instrument used to grind or crush substances into a fine powder or paste; a device that aids in the separation of solids from liquids by means of levigation; equipment employed in the process of making materials finer through mechanical reduction and separation
2. A tool designed for grinding down ingredients into a smooth texture or powder; machinery that facilitates the separation of particulate matter from a liquid suspension; apparatus utilized for the refining of substances through mechanical processes
3. A means of crushing and refining raw materials to create a more uniform powder or paste; technology that assists in the removal of impurities from liquid mixtures by grinding; a device for the mechanical reduction of raw substances into finer forms

Etymology: "Levigators" is the plural of "levigator", a noun formed from the verb "levigate" with the agent suffix "-or", meaning a thing that performs the action. The verb "levigate" comes from Latin "levigare", "to make smooth", built from "levis", "smooth" or "light", and that adjective also gives English "levity" and "alleviate". So the core idea is a tool that makes something smooth or light. The "-or" ending is the same one found in words like "accelerator" or "conductor", which name the agent that carries out an action. A levigator therefore does the levigating: it reduces material to a fine, even powder or paste, often by grinding it wet so that heavier grit sinks and finer particles stay suspended.