Solidating

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Making something firm, dense, or compact so that it becomes solid rather than fluid or loose
2. Causing a substance or mass to harden into a unified, stable body that holds its shape
3. Gradually turning a loose or liquid material into a firm, unified mass through compression or cooling

Etymology: "Solidating" is the present participle of "solidate," a verb that came into English from Latin "solidatus," the past participle of "solidare," meaning "to make solid." The Latin root is "solidus," "solid" or "firm," which also gave English "solid" itself. Our verb has a close relative in "solder," which entered English from the same Latin base, and in "consolidate," which joins the same root with a prefix meaning "together." The verb's sense of hardening into a mass follows that physical idea: something loose or scattered becomes one firm, unified body. In practice, "solidating" describes a process of binding separate parts into a single dense whole, such as a liquid thickening or a loose material setting into one piece.