v. Also 6 coalesse. [ad. L. coalescĕre to grow together, f. co- = com- + alescĕre to grow up.]
† 1. trans. To cause to grow together, to unite, combine. Obs.
1541. R. Copland, Galyen’s Terapeutyke, 2 H iv. To do all yt is conuenable to coalesse and close an vlcere togyther.
1790. Hist. Eur., in Ann. Reg., 141/1. This coalesced the apparent bulk of the nation … in one common interest.
2. intr. To grow together or into one body.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Coalesce, to grow together.
1733. Cheyne, Eng. Malady, II. v. § 10 (1735), 169. To preserve the Sides of the Capillary Vessels from coalescing and growing together.
1882. Vines, Sachs’ Bot., 566. The number of the carpels which have coalesced to form the ovary.
† b. To grow together into lumps, to cake. Obs.
1762. trans. Duhamel’s Husb., I. viii. (ed. 2), 22. For earth, alone, we find, is liable to coalesce.
1787. Winter, Syst. Husb., 211. When stiff land is not hoed, it will soon coalesce.
3. To unite or come together, so as to form one.
a. of things material.
1668. Wilkins, Real Char., 377. When two Vowels are put together by way of Dipthong [printed Dipthoug], so as to coalesce in one Syllable, ’tis necessary that there should be some Note or Mark in their Characters.
1794. R. J. Sulivan, View Nat., I. 346. If the water surrounding one particle of air comes in contact with the water surrounding another, they coalesce, and form a drop, and we have rain.
1852. Miss Yonge, Cameos, II. xxxv. 363. From Blois on one side, and Orleans on the other, there coalesced no less than five thousand cavalry.
1860. Darwin, in Life & Lett. (1887), III. 319. The granules coalesce into larger masses.
1862. Dana, Man. Geol., 621. The barrier-reefs coalesce with the fringing reefs.
b. of things immaterial; or of non-material union.
a. 1679. Goodwin, Wks., III. III. 345 (R.). It was requisite that … both of them should coalesce into one person, but without confounding them together.
1692. Washington, trans. Milton’s Def. Pop., viii. (1851), 190. Many ages ago, the Conquerors and Conquered coalesced into one and the same People.
1762. J. Brown, Poetry & Mus., § 5 (1763), 92. The Characters of Legislator and Bard did often and naturally coalesce.
1862. H. Spencer, First Princ., i. § 6 (1875), 23. To find the truth in which Religion and Science coalesce.
4. Of persons or parties: To unite into one body or association.
1781. Bentham, Wks. (1838–43), X. 102. A disposition among his friends to coalesce.
1787. ‘G. Gambado,’ Acad. Horsem. (1809), 49. Nor do I much despair of finding many judges (of riding I mean) coalesce in sentiment with me.
1834. Macaulay, Ess. Pitt (1854), I. 306. Who had bound himself, by a solemn promise, never to coalesce with Pitt.
1849. C. Brontë, Shirley, xxiv. 345. She and her nurse coalesced in wondrous union.
1876. J. H. Newman, Hist. Sk., I. I. i. 19. Only a portion of their tribes coalesced to repel his invasion.
Hence Coalescing vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1783. Dk. Leeds, Polit. Mem. (1884), 85. A want of union among the coalescing parties.
1864. Miss Yonge, Trial, I. 152. Silenced by a coalescing of the party at a gate.
1884. Bower & Scott, De Bary’s Phaner., 246. The direction in which the apposition on the coalescing bundle takes place.
