Liquid Definition & Meaning

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    • Synonyms liquid American [lik-wid] / ˈlɪk wɪd /

    adjective

    1. composed of molecules that move freely among themselves but do not tend to separate like those of gases; neither gaseous nor solid.

    2. of, relating to, or consisting of liquids.

      a liquid diet.

    3. flowing like water.

    4. clear, transparent, or bright.

      liquid eyes.

    5. (of sounds, tones, etc.) smooth; agreeable; flowing freely.

      the liquid voice of a trained orator.

    6. in cash or readily convertible into cash without significant loss of principal.

      liquid assets.

    7. Phonetics. characterizing a frictionless speech sound pronounced with only a partial obstruction of the breath stream and whose utterance can be prolonged as that of a vowel, especially l and r.

    8. (of movements, gestures, etc.) graceful; smooth; free and unconstricted.

      the ballerina's liquid arabesques.

    noun

    1. a liquid substance.

    2. Phonetics. either r or l, and sometimes m, n, ng.

    liquid British / ˈlɪkwɪd /

    noun

    1. a substance in a physical state in which it does not resist change of shape but does resist change of size Compare gas solid

    2. a substance that is a liquid at room temperature and atmospheric pressure

    3. phonetics a frictionless continuant, esp ( l ) or ( r )

    "Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

    adjective

    1. of, concerned with, or being a liquid or having the characteristic state of liquids

      liquid wax

    2. shining, transparent, or brilliant

    3. flowing, fluent, or smooth

    4. (of assets) in the form of money or easily convertible into money

    "Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 liquid Scientific / lĭk′wĭd /

    1. One of four main states of matter, composed of molecules that can move about in a substance but are bound loosely together by intramolecular forces. Unlike a solid, a liquid has no fixed shape, but instead has a characteristic readiness to flow and therefore takes on the shape of any container. Because pressure transmitted at one point is passed on to other points, a liquid usually has a volume that remains constant or changes only slightly under pressure, unlike a gas.

    liquid Cultural

    1. A phase of matter in which atoms or molecules can move freely while remaining in contact with one another. A liquid takes the shape of its container. (Compare gas and solid.)

    Related Words

    Liquid, fluid agree in referring to matter that is not solid. Liquid commonly refers to substances, as water, oil, alcohol, and the like, that are neither solids nor gases: Water ceases to be a liquid when it is frozen or turned to steam. Fluid is applied to anything that flows, whether liquid or gaseous: Pipes can carry fluids from place to place.

    Other Word Forms

    • liquidly adverb
    • liquidness noun
    • nonliquid adjective
    • nonliquidly adverb
    • unliquid adjective

    Etymology

    Origin of liquid

    First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English liquyd, from Latin liquidus, equivalent to liqu(ēre) “to be liquid” + -idus -id 4

    Example Sentences

    Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

    Much of Earth was covered by a global ocean of magma, with temperatures so extreme that liquid water could not survive.

    From Science Daily

    She's holding a container of ice-cold, artificial cerebrospinal fluid, which mimics the liquid that bathes the brain and spinal cord.

    From BBC

    The industry is testing technologies to evaporate the liquid faster and strip it of salt so it can be reused outside the oil patch.

    From The Wall Street Journal

    Jefferson is confined to liquids, sentenced to a kind of culinary purgatory.

    From Salon

    The stream of viscous liquid is aimed at a giant stack of pancakes 9 feet high.

    From Los Angeles Times

    Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

    Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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