deliquescent

Definition of Deliquescent in English :

1. deliquescent

(especially of certain salts) becoming liquid by absorbing moisture from the air

WordNet Lexical Database for English. Princeton University. 2010.

Deliquescent

verb (intransitive)

1.

(esp of certain salts) to dissolve gradually in water absorbed from the air

2.

(esp of certain fungi) to dissolve into liquid, usually at maturity

3.

(of a plant stem) to form many branches

verb intransitiveWord forms: ˌdeliˈquesced or ˌdeliˈquescing

1.

to melt away

2. Biology

a.

to melt away in the course of growth or decay, as parts of certain fungi

b.

to branch into many fine divisions, as leaf veins

3. Chemistry

to become liquid by absorbing moisture from the air

intr.v. del·i·quesced, del·i·quesc·ing, del·i·quesc·es

1.

a. To melt away.

b. To disappear as if by melting.

2. Chemistry To dissolve and become liquid by absorbing moisture from the air.

3. Botany

a. To become fluid or soft on maturing, as certain fungal structures.

b. To branch out into numerous subdivisions that lack a main axis, as the trunk of an elm.