coagulate

/koʊˌægjəˈleɪt/

/kəʊˈægjəleɪt/

Other forms: coagulated; coagulates; coagulating

When liquid starts to thicken and become solid, it coagulates. When you get a cut, the blood flowing from the wound will coagulate: it will start to clot and form a solid scab so you will stop bleeding.

Many liquids have the potential to coagulate. If the cream you just poured into your coffee is spoiled, you'll see the cream coagulate as it curdles into little floating chunks. If someone has a heart condition that may result in a heart attack, he or she might take medication that keeps the blood in the arteries from coagulating, or dangerously thickening.

Definitions of coagulate

1. verb

   change from a liquid to a thickened or solid state
   “coagulated blood”

   synonyms: clot

   types:

   curdle

   turn from a liquid to a solid mass

   type of:

   change state, turn

   undergo a transformation or a change of position or action
2. verb

   cause to change from a liquid to a solid or thickened state
   synonyms: clot

   type of:

   alter, change, modify

   cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
3. adjective

   transformed from a liquid into a soft semisolid or solid mass
   synonyms: coagulated, curdled, grumose, grumous

   thick

   relatively dense in consistency