Coagulation
/koʊˌæɡ.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/noun
The process by which a liquid thickens or changes into a semisolid or solid state, especially when blood clots.
Did you know?The Latin ancestor referred especially to curdling milk and forming a clot, linking everyday coagulation to ancient observations of cheese, blood, and bodily fluids.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ag-
“To drive, move, or set in motion; the reconstructed root behind Latin agere.”
Classical Latin
Latin
agere
“To drive, do, conduct, or cause to happen.”
Classical Latin
Latin
coagulum
“A curdling or thickening agent, especially the substance that causes milk or other fluids to clot.”
Classical Latin
Latin
coagulare
“To cause to curdle, thicken, or clot.”
Late Latin
Latin
coagulatio
“A curdling, thickening, or clotting.”
14th–15th Century
Middle English
coagulation
“The process of thickening or clotting, used particularly in medical and natural-philosophical contexts.”
Modern English
English
coagulation
“The formation of a semisolid or solid mass from a liquid, especially the clotting of blood.”