deliquescentadjective
del·i·ques·cent ˌde-li-ˈkwe-sᵊnt
1: tending to melt or dissolve
especially : tending to undergo gradual dissolution and liquefaction by the attraction and absorption of moisture from the air
2: having repeated division into branches
Elms are
deliquescent trees.
deliquescence ˌde-li-ˈkwe-sᵊn(t)s
noun
Recent Examples on the WebHis deliquescent tissue had seeped under the keys, short-circuiting the motherboard.
— Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Big, bold and playfully grotesque, these recall the deliquescent figure sculptures of Willem de Kooning, with a few more accessories tacked on (balls, birds, various tools). — Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2023
EtymologyLatin
deliquescent-,
deliquescens, present participle of
deliquescere
First Known Use1771, in the meaning defined at sense 1
~~
I came across it in this poem recently:
Peonies
by Jim Harrison
The peonies, too heavy with their beauty,
slump to the ground. I had hoped
they would live forever but ever so slowly
day by day they’re becoming the soil of their birth
with a faint tang of deliquescence around them.
Next June they’ll somehow remember to come alive again,
a little trick we have or have not learned.
(via Read a Little Poetry FB page--many thanks!)
(they also have a website, do take a look:
readalittlepoetry.com/)
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