Curdling: meaning, definitions and examples

Curdling is frequently used in the context of liquids, particularly milk, when they thicken or separate into curds and whey. This term is common in cooking and food preparation.

• The milk curdled when we added lemon juice
• The recipe requires curdling the milk to make cheese

Coagulate is a formal term often used in scientific or medical contexts to describe the process by which a liquid, especially blood, changes into a thickened or solid state.

• The heat caused the liquid to coagulate
• After the injury, the blood began to coagulate

Clot is typically used in medical or biological contexts to describe a thickened mass of blood or other liquid, often temporarily blocking a flow.

• He needed medication to prevent blood clots
• The cut on her arm clotted after a few minutes

Solidify is a general term used in various contexts to refer to the process of becoming solid. It can be used in scientific, industrial, or everyday situations.

• The candle wax solidified as it cooled
• The company needed a strong leader to solidify its future

This word can also be used metaphorically to describe something that causes intense fear or discomfort, often in a dramatic or exaggerated sense.

• The horror movie had a curdling effect on the audience.
• His curdling scream echoed in the dark alley.

Often used to describe causing someone to feel anxious, uneasy, or uncomfortable. It can refer to minor or moderate emotional disturbances.

• The sudden change in plans unsettled everyone at the meeting.
• Her strange behavior started to unsettle the neighbors.

This is used in everyday conversation to denote causing an interruption or a minor annoyance. It can refer to both physical interruptions and emotional or mental disruptions.

• Please do not disturb me while I’m studying.
• The loud music disturbed the baby’s sleep.

Typically used to describe causing someone to lose mental stability or composure. It has a strong, often negative, connotation that someone is being pushed towards mental or emotional instability.

• The constant stress from work began to unhinge him.
• The traumatic event almost unhinged her completely.