Word of the Day

: August 2, 2007

deliquesce

verb del-ih-KWESS

What It Means

1 : to dissolve or melt away

2 : to become soft or liquid with age or maturity -- used of some fungal structures (as the gills of a mushroom)

deliquesce in Context

Someone forgot to put the butter back in the refrigerator, instead leaving it to deliquesce on the kitchen counter.

Did You Know?

"Deliquesce" derives from the prefix "de-" ("completely, 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."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.