sublimate
1
9.1
A solid that forms when a gas turns back to solid without becoming liquid
- noun
- /ˈsʌblɪˌmeɪt/
- Specialized
:
sublimado
- The scientist observed that the pure substance began to sublimate under low pressure conditions in the lab.
Examples
-
I gaped at the insect habitat, filling the last free space between our veggie hydrator and the meat-sublimate racks.
Fiction book (1994) -
As the temperature rises, the water in the ice cube can sublimate and vanish into thin air.
-
"Maybe because he likes to escape, as in sublimate."
Fiction book (1995) -
Dry ice is a solid form of carbon dioxide that can sublimate directly into gas without becoming liquid.
Compounds
corrosive sublimate
- Archaic
1
9.9
A white poisonous chemical once used to kill germs and protect wood
Surface Forms
sublimate singular
sublimates plural
Etymology
Sublimate comes from the Latin word sublimare, which means 'to lift up'. In chemistry a sublimate is the solid you get when a substance is lifted into vapor and then falls back as a solid, so thinking of it as something that was 'lifted up' helps you remember this special solid.