thickener

Thân thiện

A chef adds a thickener to the simmering soup.

Definition

Noun: 1. A substance added to a liquid to make it thicker or more viscous: A "thickener" is any material whose primary purpose is to increase the consistency, density, or viscosity of a mixture, often in cooking, manufacturing, or chemistry.

Usage

The word "thickener" is used to identify the specific ingredient or agent that causes thickening. It is typically a countable noun (e.g., a thickener, two thickeners).

Examples

• Flour is a common thickener for soups and sauces.
• This recipe calls for cornstarch as a thickener.
• Industrial processes often use specialized chemical thickeners.

Advanced Usage

• Technical/Industrial Context: In fields like paint manufacturing, textile printing, or cosmetics, "thickener" refers to specific agents (e.g., associative thickeners, cellulose-based thickeners) that control the flow and stability of the product.
  • Xanthan gum is an effective thickener and stabilizer in gluten-free baking.

Variants and Related Words

• Thicken (verb): To make or become thick or thicker.
  • Simmer the sauce to thicken it.
• Thickening (noun/gerund): 1. The process of becoming thick. 2. A substance used to thicken; often used interchangeably with "thickener."
  • The thickening of the custard took about ten minutes. (Process)
  • Arrowroot is a good thickening. (Substance)

Synonyms

• Binding agent
• Gelling agent (specifically for forming gels)
• Stiffener

Antonyms

• Thinner (a substance used to make a liquid less viscous)
• Diluent

Học thuật

Noun

1. any material used to thicken
   • starch is used in cooking as a thickening

Từ đồng nghĩa

• thickening