Flocculate
/ˈflɒk.jə.leɪt/noun
To cause particles suspended in a liquid to gather into loose clusters, or to form such clusters.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin floccus, meaning a tuft or lock of wool, because the resulting particle clusters resemble floating wool fibers.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
floccus
“A lock or tuft of wool; a small tuft-like mass”
Late Latin
Latin
flocculus
“A little tuft or small lock”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
flocculatus
“Formed into small tuft-like clusters”
19th Century
English
flocculate
“To form or cause to form floccules, or loose clusters”
Modern English
English
flocculate
“To aggregate suspended particles into loosely joined masses”