deliquesce

del·i·quesce

verb \ˌde-li-ˈkwes\

del·i·quesceddel·i·quesc·ing

Definition of DELIQUESCE

intransitive verb

1

: to dissolve or melt away

2

: to become soft or liquid with age or maturity —used of some fungal structures (as gills)

Examples of DELIQUESCE

1. <a rotting tomato slowly deliquescing in the hot summer sun>

Origin of DELIQUESCE

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

First Known Use: 1756

Related to DELIQUESCE

Synonyms: liquefy, flux, fuse, melt, run, thaw

Antonyms: harden, set, solidify

Related Words: found, gutter, smelt, try; dissolve, render; soften, thin

Near Antonyms: clot, coagulate, congeal, gel, jell, jelly, thicken

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Rhymes with DELIQUESCE

ABS, acquiesce, baroness, bitter cress, CBS, coalesce, convalesce, crown princess, DES, decompress, derepress, dispossess, due process, effervesce, effloresce, evanesce, full-court press, gentilesse, granny dress, in-process, inverness, Inverness, less and less, letterpress, luminesce, Lyonnesse, minidress, more or less, nonetheless, obsolesce, otherguess, overdress, pennycress, phosphoresce, politesse, prepossess, preprocess, recrudesce, repossess, reprocess, retrogress, second-guess, SOS, sweaterdress, underdress, watercress, window-dress, word process