liquid

[lik-wid] /ˈlɪk wɪd/

adjective

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

of, pertaining to, or consisting of liquids:

a liquid diet.

flowing like water.

clear, transparent, or bright:

liquid eyes.

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

the liquid voice of a trained orator.

in cash or readily convertible into cash without significant loss of principal:

liquid assets.

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.

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

the ballerina's liquid arabesques.

noun

a liquid substance.

10.

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

Origin

1350-1400; Middle English liquyd < Latin liquidus, equivalent to liqu(ēre) to be liquid + -idus -id⁴

Related forms

liquidly, adverb

liquidness, noun

nonliquid, adjective, noun

nonliquidly, adverb

unliquid, adjective

Can be confused

fluid, gas, liquid (see synonym study at the current entry)

Synonyms

1. 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.

Examples from the web for liquids

For bread baking, get an instant read thermometer and use it to get the temp of the liquids.
For one, it could be melted or mussed by steam or hot liquids.
He understood that they were only animated cavities full of jelly and strings and liquids.
It has a smaller tube in the center for liquids and smaller jobs.
We holed up in the house for the afternoon, limiting our liquids.
Ask students what would have happened if they had poured the liquids into the jar in a different order.
There they willingly feed it regurgitated liquids mouth to mouth, a diet it supplements by eating the ants' brood.
Some come with airtight lids, metal bails, reinforced plastic rims or pour spouts to transfer liquids.
Despite careful engineering, they can leak liquids into the groundwater.
Travelers still face restrictions on gels and liquids in carry-on luggage.

British Dictionary definitions for liquids

liquid

/ˈlɪkwɪd/

noun

a substance in a physical state in which it does not resist change of shape but does resist change of size Compare gas (sense 1), solid (sense 1)

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

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

adjective

of, concerned with, or being a liquid or having the characteristic state of liquids: liquid wax

shining, transparent, or brilliant

flowing, fluent, or smooth

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

Derived Forms

liquidly, adverb
liquidness, noun

Word Origin

C14: via Old French from Latin liquidus, from liquēre to be fluid

Word Origin and History for liquids

liquid

adj.

late 14c., from Old French liquide "liquid, running," from Latin liquidus "fluid, liquid, moist," figuratively "flowing, continuing," from liquere "be fluid," related to liqui "to melt, flow," from PIE *wleik- "to flow, run." Of sounds, from 1630s (the Latin word also was used of sounds). Financial sense of "capable of being converted to cash" is first recorded 1818.

"a liquid substance," 1709, from liquid (adj.). Earlier it meant "sound of a liquid consonant" (1520s).

liquids in Medicine

liquid liq·uid (lĭk'wĭd)
n.

The state of matter in which a substance exhibits a characteristic readiness to flow, little or no tendency to disperse, and relatively high incompressibility.
Matter or a specific body of matter in this state.

adj.

Of or being a liquid.
Having been liquefied, especially melted by heating or condensed by cooling.
Flowing readily; fluid.

liq'uid·ly adv.
liq'uid·ness n.

liquids in Science

liquid

(lĭk'wĭd)
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.

liquids in Culture

liquid definition

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.)