[f. prec. ppl. a. or its Latin source: see -ATE3 5. Fr. had coaguler in 14th c. (Littré), whence earlier Eng. COAGULE.]
1. trans. To convert (certain fluids, as blood, milk, albumen, etc.) into a soft solid mass, as by chemical action, heat, exposure to air, etc.; to curdle, clot, congeal.
1611. Cotgr., Coaguler, to coagulate; curd, or congeale into a curd.
1616. in Bullokar.
1668. Wilkins, Real Char., 80. [Bedstraw] used in some places to coagulate Milk.
1795. Home, in Phil. Trans., LXXXVI. 17. Attempts to coagulate the cells of the vitreous humour.
1831. R. Knox, Cloquet’s Anat., 2. Albumen … is coagulated by heat, alcohol and the stronger acids.
1877. M. Foster, Text-Bk. Phys., I. i. 18. Serum deprived of its fibrinoplastin, and hydrocele fluid deprived of its fibrinogen, have lost all power of coagulating each other.
† b. To deposit in a solid form from solution; to crystallize. Obs.
1605. Timme, Quersit., I. v. 20. The niterus [salt] … which is there coagulated or congealed.
2. a. To form (anything plastic) into a solidified cake or mass; to form as a mass. lit. & fig. ? Obs.
1633. T. Adams, Exp. 2 Peter i. 4. This monster is not coagulated all at once.
1641. Milton, Ch. Discip., II. (1851), 42. A mere ague-cake coagulated of a certaine Fever they have.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1650), II. 40. Venus … was got and coagulated of that foam.
1691. Ray, Creation, II. (1704), 360. There are who say that … Frogs that appear … after a shower are … coagulated of a certain kind of Dust commixt … with Rain-water.
b. To cause to stick together into a mass.
1610. Donne, Pseudo-Martyr, 373. Repentance, and Remission of sinnes … are that Doctrine which coagulates and gathers the Church into a body, and makes it Catholique.
1665–6. Phil. Trans., I. 29. By compounding & coagulating several Salts together.
1671. J. Webster, Metallogr., iii. 46. Coagulating (or as Avicen learnedly speaketh) conglutinating the small sandy particles together.
1843. Carlyle, Past & Pr. (1858), 193. Coagulated into a mere hoof.
3. intr. Of albuminous fluids: To become converted into a soft solid mass; to curdle, clot, congeal, ‘set.’
1606. Surflet, Country Farme, 91. Such milke … shall be put in vessels for to coagulate and turne to curds.
1667. Phil. Trans., II. 450. The blood … began to coagulate in the Vein.
1835–6. Todd, Cycl. Anat., I. 88/2. White of egg, when heated to about 150° coagulates.
1848. Carpenter, Anim. Phys., 26. Albumen may also be made to coagulate … by the action of acids.
† b. To condense as vapor. Obs. rare.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. (1872), 58. Ane exalatione of humid vapours … ascendis in the sycond regione of the ayr, quhar that it coagulatis in ane thik clud.
1656. [? J. Sergeant], trans. T. White’s Peripat. Inst., 132. If they … are coagulated into bigger parts, they become Water.
† c. To solidify by evaporation; to crystallize. (Said of liquid containing solid matter in solution, or of the solid matter deposited.) Obs.
1635. N. Carpenter, Geog. Del., II. vi. 93. Salt Water mixt with fresh will more easily coagulate and congeale into salt.
1686. W. Harris, trans. Lemery’s Chym., I. xvi. (ed. 3), 364. If there should be too much [water], the salt would be weakned too much, and not able to coagulate.
1713. Derham, Phys. Theol., 64, foot-note, The Water falling from the upper Parts of the Cave … the Drops coagulating presently into Stones.
4. To stick or run together into lumps.
1669. Worlidge, Syst. Agric. (1681), 315. If Ashes coagulate or grow in lumps.
Hence Coagulating vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1626. Bacon, Sylva (1677), § 781. The Mulberry-leaf … hath coagulating virtue, which inspissateth the Dew.
1732. Arbuthnot, Rules of Diet, 332. Caustick, astringent, and coagulating Particles.
1872. Huxley, Physiol., iii. 68. If blood-plasma be prevented from coagulating by cold.
