deliquesce

verb

del·​i·​quesce ˌde-li-ˈkwes 

deliquesced; deliquescing

intransitive verb

1

: to dissolve or melt away

2

: to become soft or liquid with age or maturity

—used of some fungal structures (such as gills)

Did you know?

Deliquesce derives from the prefix de- ("from, down, away") and a form of the Latin verb liquēre, meaning "to be fluid." Things that deliquesce, it could be said, turn to mush in more ways than one. In scientific contexts, a substance that deliquesces absorbs moisture from the atmosphere until it dissolves in the absorbed water and forms a solution. When plants and fungi deliquesce, they lose rigidity as they age. When deliquesce is used in non-scientific contexts, it is often in a figurative or humorous way to suggest the act of "melting away" under exhaustion, heat, or idleness, as in "teenagers deliquescing in 90-degree temperatures."

Synonyms

• flux
• fuse
• liquefy
• liquify
• melt
• run
• thaw

Examples of deliquesce in a Sentence

a rotting tomato slowly deliquescing in the hot summer sun

Recent Examples on the Web

That was sitting out there, in a state of just deliquescing. —Daniel A. Gross, The New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2019

Not lumpia Shanghai, spring rolls as skinny as cheroots, the ground pork inside flecked with deliquescing fat. —Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 15 June 2017

Word History

Etymology

Latin deliquescere, from de- + liquescere, inchoative of liquēre to be fluid — more at liquid

First Known Use

1756, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

deliquesce

verb

del·​i·​quesce ˌdel-ə-ˈkwes 

deliquesced; deliquescing

: to dissolve or melt away

especially : to exhibit the behavior of a deliquescent substance