liquid
/ˈlɪk.wɪd/ noun, adjective
Forms liquids
- noun (physical chemistry) A substance that is flowing, and keeping no shape, such as water; a substance of which the molecules, while not tending to separate from one another like those of a gas, readily change their relative position, and which therefore retains no definite shape, except that determined by the containing receptacle; an inelastic fluid. “A liquid can freeze to become a solid or evaporate into a gas.”
- noun (phonetics) Any of a class of consonant sounds that includes l and r.
- adjective (physical chemistry) Flowing freely like water; fluid; not solid and not gaseous; composed of particles that move freely among each other on the slightest pressure. “liquid nitrogen”
- adjective (finance, of an asset) Easily sold or disposed of without losing value.
- adjective (finance, of a market) Having sufficient trading activity to make buying or selling easy.
- adjective Flowing or sounding smoothly or without abrupt transitions or harsh tones. “a liquid melody”
- adjective (phonology) Belonging to a class of consonants comprising the laterals and the rhotics, which in many languages behave similarly. “/l/ and /r/ are liquid consonants.”
- adjective Fluid and transparent. “the liquid air”
Synonyms
fluid flowy fluxive liquidness liquidity liquid state swimming limpid melted liquified fluent smooth
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English liquide, from Old French liquide, from Latin liquidus (“fluid, liquid, moist”), from liqueō (“to be liquid, be fluid”). Doublet of liquidus. As a term for a consonant, it comes from Latin liquida (cōnsōnāns), a calque of Ancient Greek ὑγρὸν (σύμφωνον) (hugròn (súmphōnon), “liquid consonant”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Flowing freely like water; fluid; not solid.
- adjective Being in such a state that the component parts move among themselves, but do not tend to separate from each other as the particles of gases and vapors do; neither solid nor aëriform; as, liquid mercury, in distinction from mercury solidified or in a state of vapor.
- noun A substance whose parts change their relative position on the slightest pressure, and therefore retain no definite form; any substance in the state of liquidity; a fluid that is not aëriform.
- noun A letter which has a smooth, flowing sound, or which flows smoothly after a mute; as, l and r, in bla, bra. M and n also are called liquids. Liquid measure, a measure, or system of measuring, for liquids, by the gallon, quart, pint, gill, etc.
Etymology [L. liquidus, fr. liquere to be fluid or liquid; cf. Skr. ri to ooze, drop, li to melt.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “liquid”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details