deliquesce

present singular third person deliquesces · participle present deliquescing · participle past deliquesced · past deliquesced

1. intransitiveTo melt by absorbing water and disappearing.

   But I could find no saltpetre; indeed, no nitrates of any kind. Doubtless they had deliquesced ages ago.

   1895 May 29, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “The Palace of Green Porcelain”, in The Time Machine: An Invention, London: William Heinemann, →OCLC, page 110

   3 more examples

   The buildings were Victorian ruins; there were never any razor blades; cheap socks deliquesced beneath your feet.

   1978 November 19, Martin Amis, “A Stoked‐Up 1976”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   When he tried to extract the liver, which should have been firm and meaty, it deliquesced into a bloody sludge, sliding goopily through his fingers.

   2020 December, Tim Folger, “North America’s most valuable resource is at risk”, in National Geographic Magazine

   When mystery deliquesced into renewed bitching over the cramped ride, Alfred issued a second moan-bark: longer, louder, and impossible to ignore.

   2022, Jennifer Egan, “Case Study: No One Got Hurt”, in The Candy House

   Synonyms: dissolve, liquefy

2. intransitivephysicalchemistryTo become liquid by absorbing water from the atmosphere and dissolving in it.

   Some salts will deliquesce when left exposed.