liquefaction

[ lik-wuh-fak-shuhn ]
See synonyms for liquefaction on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the act or process of liquefying or making liquid.

  2. the state of being liquefied.

Origin of liquefaction

1
1375–1425; late Middle English <Late Latin liquefactiōn- (stem of liquefactiō) a melting, equivalent to Latin liquefact(us) (past participle of liquefacere to melt, liquefy) + -iōn--ion

Other words from liquefaction

  • liq·ue·fac·tive, adjective

Words that may be confused with liquefaction

Words Nearby liquefaction

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use liquefaction in a sentence

  • He then also first stated that, above certain temperatures, liquefaction of vapors was impossible, however great the pressure.

  • Do you observe the uniform distribution of the growth and the absence of any sign of liquefaction in the medium?

    The Blue Germ | Martin Swayne
  • The presence of condensation water at the bottom of the tube must not be confounded with liquefaction of the medium.

Scientific definitions for liquefaction

liquefaction

[ lĭk′wə-făkshən ]


  1. Chemistry The act or process of turning a gas into a liquid. Liquefaction is usually achieved by compression of vapors (provided the temperature of the gas is below the critical temperature), by refrigeration, or by adiabatic expansion.

  2. Geology The process by which sediment that is very wet starts to behave like a liquid. Liquefaction occurs because of the increased pore pressure and reduced effective stress between solid particles generated by the presence of liquid. It is often caused by severe shaking, especially that associated with earthquakes.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.