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Glite Dictionary
to curdle

to curdle

13 4.1
To become thick and form small lumps, like milk when it turns sour
  • verb
  • /ˈkɜrdəl/
translation icon : cortarse
  • When you heat the milk too much, it can easily curdle and separate.
  • curdled milk
  • curdled cream
  • curdle the mixture

Examples

  • They say her gaze curdles milk.

    Holmes & Watson (2018)

  • It curdles my stomach.

    MacArthur (1977)

  • The cold went right to your stomach and curdled your dinner.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Exposé Colorado has this exclusive interview with former kitchen workers... ...who will tell a story that will curdle your strudel.

    Beerfest (2006)

  • Without even the consolation of Goobers, Nestor felt his rage crest, then curdle into a bellyache.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Like Esperanza, all are scrawny and dressed in threadbare nightgowns, stiff with curdled milk.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Adding lemon juice to the warm milk will cause it to curdle rapidly.

  • If you let the cream sit out too long, it will curdle and become unusable.

Synonyms

to clot
vsto curdle
8 5.6

To become thick and form lumps in a liquid, for example blood or milk

is about liquids becoming partly solid by souring, heat, or added acid
to coagulate
vsto curdle
  • Specialized
8 7.7

To make a liquid become thick or solid

refers to natural thickening by souring, heat, or acid rather than controlled chemistry
to clabber
vsto curdle
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To become thick and a little sour like milk left out

covers general liquid thickening into partly solid form from heat or acid
to clabber up
vsto curdle
  • Archaic
9.9

To become thick and lumpy, like milk that goes sour

applies to any liquid thickening partly solid from souring, heat, or acid

Antonyms

to thin
38 1.4

To become less thick or crowded, for example a crowd

dilute
1 4.2

A liquid that is weaker after adding water

How Solid

to solidify
55 4.4
coagulate
  • Specialized
7.8
to curdle
13 4.1
to thicken
35 2.3

Surface Forms

curdle infinitive
curdled past
curdled past participle
curdling present participle
curdles third person singular

Morphology

curdle = curd (transparent) = curd + le

Derived by adding the productive verb-forming suffix '-le' to the noun 'curd', so the meaning 'become or make into curds' is directly predictable.

Etymology

Curdle comes from the simple word curd, the thick, lumpy part of milk that is used to make cheese. So to curdle is to turn milk into those curds, or for the milk 'to become' thick and partly solid.