fluidize

[ floo-i-dahyz ]

verb (used with object)

, flu·id·ized, flu·id·iz·ing.

1. to make (something) fluid.
2. Chemistry. to suspend or transport (finely divided particles) in a stream of gas or air.

verb (used without object)

, flu·id·ized, flu·id·iz·ing.

1. to become fluid.

fluidize

/ ˈfluːɪˌdaɪz /

verb

1. tr to make fluid, esp to make (solids) fluid by pulverizing them so that they can be transported in a stream of gas as if they were liquids

   fluidized coal

Derived Forms

• ˈfluidˌizer, noun
• ˌfluidiˈzation, noun

Other Words From

• fluid·i·zation noun
• fluid·izer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fluidize¹

First recorded in 1850–55; fluid + -ize

Example Sentences

We identify a critical compositional tipping point, independently documented in the global geochemical record of rhyolites, at which rhyolitic melts fluidize or stiffen and that clearly separates effusive from explosive deposits worldwide.

From Nature