Reliquefy

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To transform a solid back into a liquid state through the application of heat or change in conditions
2. To revert a material that has solidified back to its liquid form using heat or other means
3. To cause a solid substance to return to its liquid phase by applying heat or altering its environment

Etymology: "Reliquefy" is simply "re-" attached to "liquefy," so its history is that of "liquefy" with a repeating action added. The prefix "re-" comes from Latin, where it meant "back" or "again," and in English it is attached freely to verbs to mean an action done once more or an action reversed. "Liquefy" itself comes from the Latin "liquefacere," built from "liquere" ("to be liquid") and "facere" ("to make"), so the whole word means something like "to make liquid again." The sense of "again" is the key to the meaning here. Where "liquefy" describes turning a solid into a liquid, "reliquefy" describes doing that a second time, such as a substance that has solidified after being melted and must be melted once more. The word is a transparent formation, built on demand from parts that were already in use, so there is no separate story to tell beyond the parts themselves.

Synonyms: liquefy, melt

Antonyms: solidify, freeze