coagulation

noun co·ag·u·la·tion \ kō-ˌa-gyə-ˈlā-shən \

Definition of coagulation

: the process of becoming viscous or thickened into a coherent mass : the forming of clots (as in blood or cream) : the process of coagulating

… an incision is made on the skin of the forearm with a spring-loaded device, and the time to coagulation is measured.
—Lawrence L. K. Leung

Recent Examples of coagulation from the Web

Alternatively, rattlesnake venom can also inhibit clotting, a phenomenon known as anti-coagulation, which can in turn cause excessive bleeding.

— christina capatides, CBS News, "Kayaker hospitalized after rattlesnake falls from a tree and bites him," 22 May 2018
Different types of anti-coagulation drugs have been introduced over the past 30 to 40 years.

— sandy bauers, Philly.com, "How high-tech genomics - and simple aspirin - could make your joint replacement better," 17 May 2018
The person was treated for bleeding and coagulation issues.

— andrea k. mcdaniels, baltimoresun.com, "First Maryland case of bleeding from synthetic marijuana reported," 5 Apr. 2018
To make the bomb more dangerous, the bombmaker coated the weights in a chemical common in rat poison that inhibits blood coagulation.

— author: devlin barrett, Anchorage Daily News, "A race against time and technology: How authorities are trying to catch the Austin bomber," 20 Mar. 2018
To make the bomb more dangerous, the bombmaker coated the weights in a chemical common in rat poison that inhibits blood coagulation.

— devlin barrett, Washington Post, "A race against time and technology: How authorities are trying to catch the Austin bomber," 20 Mar. 2018
The microbes also deal with most of the challenges of coagulation by providing pathways for degrading the coagulant heparan sulfate.

— diana gitig, Ars Technica, "Gut bacteria key to the vampire bat’s ability to survive on blood," 1 Mar. 2018
Tests of her blood revealed no coagulation issues or other problems.

— susan scutti, CNN, "The woman who sweats blood from her palms and her face," 24 Oct. 2017
His laboratory work has had major implications for scientific understanding of thrombosis — the coagulation or clotting of the blood in a part of the circulatory system.

— bonnie l. cook, Philly.com, "Dr. Alan D. Schreiber, 75, physician-scientist who headed research lab at Penn," 3 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coagulation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of coagulation

14th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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Medical Dictionary

coagulation

noun co·ag·u·la·tion \ kō-ˌag-yə-ˈlā-shən \

medical Definition of coagulation

1 a : a change to a viscous, jellylike, or solid state; especially : a change from a liquid to a thickened curdlike state not by evaporation but by chemical reaction

the spontaneous coagulation of freshly drawn blood

the coagulation of milk by rennin

b : the process by which such change of state takes place consisting of the alteration of a soluble substance (as a protein) into an insoluble form or of the flocculation or separation of colloidal or suspended matter

2 : a substance or body formed by coagulation : coagulum

3 : disruption of tissue by physical means (as by application of an electric current) so that denaturation and clumping of protein occur