Also 6–7 crudle, 7–8 (9 dial.) cruddle. [Frequentative of CURD v.]
1. trans. To form (milk) into curd; to turn (any liquid) into a soft solid substance like curd; to coagulate, clot, congeal.
1590–6. [see CURDLED 1, 1 c.].
1601. Holland, Pliny, XXIII. vii. It wil cruddle milk as wel as rennet.
1611. Bible, Job x. 10. Hast thou not powred me out as milke, and cruddled me like cheese?
1742. Lond. & Country Brewer, I. (ed. 4), 40 The Wort also will be curdled, and broke into small Particles.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, I. 767. All acids curdle milk.
b. To curdle the blood: usually fig. said of the effect of cold, horror, etc., upon a person.
1602. Marston, Ant. & Mel., II. Wks. 1856, I. 26. O how impatience … cruddles thick my blood, with boiling rage!
a. 1674. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., XVI. (1704), III. 559. Being now awaken’d by this Alarm … and his flegm a little curdled, he begun to think himself in danger.
1760. C. Johnston, Chrysal (1822), I. 14. An holy horror curdled all my blood.
1891. Baring-Gould, In Troubadour-Land, v. 63. The glacial bise sweeps over the face of the desert, curdling the blood.
2. transf. and fig.
1627–47. Feltham, Resolves (ed. 7), 154. We are curdled to the fashion of a life by time and set successions.
1794. G. Adams, Nat. & Exp. Philos., I. vi. 210. The surface of the water is fretted and curdled into the finest waves by the undulations of the air.
1816. Byron, Dream, i. A thought, A slumbering thought … curdles a long life into one hour.
1821. Clare, Vill. Minstr., II. 203. So beauty curdles envy’s look on thee.
3. intr. To become or form curd; to coagulate.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 348. The milk … will not cruddle.
1653. H. More, Conject. Cabbal. (1713), 190. How this Primordial Water … should ever coagulate or cruddle into that consistency.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), III. 55. The milk of the goat is … not so apt to curdle upon the stomach as that of the cow.
1853. Soyer, Pantroph., 90. Mint prevented milk from curdling.
b. Of the blood. (Now usually fig.)
1611. Beaum. & Fl., King & No K., I. i. See now my blood cruddles at this!
1668. Culpepper & Cole, Barthol. Anat., Manual, I. i. 302. Extravenated Blood … curdles and putrefies.
1784. Cowper, Task, VI. 514. The blood thrills and curdles at the thought.
a. 1845. Barham, Ingol. Leg. (1877), 183. It makes the blood curdle with fear.
c. transf. and fig.
1818. Byron, Mazeppa, xviii. An icy sickness curdling o’er My heart.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. ii. 22. The adjacent atmosphere … curdled up into visible fog.
