verb
congeal
kun-JEEL/kənˈdʒiːl/
To become or cause to become thick or solid.
The fat on the soup congeals as it cools.
Etymology
The pieces give “freeze together,” an image of material becoming a solid mass. That freezing sense connects directly with the broader meaning of thickening or setting, especially as something cools.
In context
do you not feel your blood congeal with horror like that which even now curdles mine
More examples
- The gravy begins to congeal before we finish dinner.
- Cold temperatures congeal the oil into a thick paste.
- Melted wax has congealed around the candle's base.
Forms
congeal · congeals · congealed · congealing
Similar words
- solidify
- Means becoming fully solid, not merely thick or jellylike.
- thicken
- Means becoming less fluid without necessarily becoming solid.
- coagulate
- Often describes blood or proteins forming clots or solid masses.