Coagulate
/koʊˈæɡjəˌleɪt/
verbB2
Definition
To coagulate means that a liquid changes into a thicker or more solid state, often by clumping together small particles. This usually happens naturally, like when blood forms a clot to stop bleeding, or when milk turns sour and thickens. It can also happen in cooking or science.
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See It in Action
To change a liquid into a thick or solid form by clumping particles
- •The blood began to coagulate quickly after the injury.
- •Milk left outside too long can coagulate and spoil.
- •The chef used an enzyme to coagulate the milk and make cheese.
To form clumps or lumps inside a liquid
- •The sauce started to coagulate because it was too hot.
- •Proteins in the egg white coagulate when cooked.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'coagulate' like 'thicken' (A2 word), but more about liquids becoming solid or clumpy, not just thicker like soup
- ✓Picture red blood slowly forming a jelly-like mass to stop bleeding from a cut
- ✓It's the feeling when milk gets old and changes from smooth liquid to chunky or solid bits
- ✓Sounds like 'CO-ag-u-late' → imagine small drops coming together to make a bigger, thicker drop
- ✓Think of how cheese is made when milk coagulates and turns solid
- ✓NOT like 'freeze' (which makes liquid solid by cold), coagulate is about particles clumping, not temperature only
- ✓NOT like 'evaporate' (liquid turning into gas), coagulate is liquid becoming solid or thick, not disappearing
- ✓NOT like 'dissolve' (solid mixing into liquid), coagulate is the opposite: liquid turning into solid pieces
Try Other Words
- •Clot: to form a thick mass, especially blood (Use when talking about blood stopping bleeding)
- •Curdle: to separate into lumps, often with milk (Use when milk or cream becomes lumpy or spoiled)
- •Solidify: to become solid (Use when the liquid turns fully solid, often by cooling or chemical change)
- •Gel: to become jelly-like (Use when a liquid becomes soft solid like jelly)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: 'co-' (together) + 'agglutinate' (to stick or glue) shortened to 'coagulate'
- •Etymology: From Latin 'coagulatus,' past participle of 'coagulare,' meaning to curdle or clot
- •Historical development: Used since the 1600s in medical and scientific contexts to describe blood clotting and liquid thickening
- •Modern usage: Common in medicine (blood coagulation), cooking (cheese making), and science (chemical reactions causing solids to form)
Reflect & Connect
•How do you think coagulation helps the body when you get a cut or injury?
•Can you think of foods or drinks that coagulate during cooking? How does this change their texture or taste?
Fill in the blanks
1.Blood starts to coagulate when a person ___ a cut or injury to stop bleeding.
2.Milk will coagulate if it is left ___ at room temperature for too long.
3.Unlike freezing, coagulate means the liquid turns ___ by particles sticking together, not by cold.
4.When making cheese, enzymes help milk ___ into solid curds.
5.The sauce began to coagulate because it was heated ___ and too fast.
6.Proteins in egg whites coagulate when they are ___.
7.If a liquid does not coagulate properly, it may not ___ or form the right texture.