delinquesce

A chemist observes a sugar cube delinquesce in a beaker of water.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To melt away or dissolve: "delinquesce" means to become liquid by absorbing moisture from the air, or to liquefy gradually.
   • To disappear or vanish: In informal or figurative use, "delinquesce" can mean to fade away or dissipate, as if melting.

Usage Examples

• Literal (chemical): (The salt absorbed moisture and turned into liquid.)
• Figurative (slang): (Her anger melted away and disappeared.)

Advanced Usage

• "to delinquesce into something": to transform or dissolve into a different state or substance.

  • The sugar cube delinquesced into a syrupy liquid. (The sugar cube dissolved into syrup.)

• "to delinquesce from sight": to vanish gradually from view.

  • The fog delinquesced from sight as the sun rose. (The fog dissipated and disappeared.)

Variants and Related Words

• Deliquescent (adj): tending to absorb moisture from the air and become liquid.

  • Calcium chloride is a deliquescent substance. (It readily absorbs water and dissolves.)

• Deliquescence (n): the process of becoming liquid by absorbing moisture.

  • The deliquescence of the compound occurred overnight. (The liquefaction process happened during the night.)

Synonyms

• Dissolve: to become incorporated into a liquid so as to form a solution.
• Melt: to change from a solid to a liquid state, usually by heat.
• Liquefy: to make or become liquid.
• Vanish: to disappear suddenly and completely.

Phrasal Verbs

• Delinquesce away: to gradually dissolve or disappear.
  • The ice sculpture delinquesced away in the warm room. (The sculpture melted and vanished.)

Related Idioms

• Melt into thin air: to disappear completely, as if dissolving.
  • The evidence seemed to delinquesce into thin air. (The evidence vanished without a trace.)