liquid — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A substance that is flowing, and keeping no shape, such as water; a substance of which the molecules, while not tending to separate from one another like those of a gas, readily change their relative position, and which therefore retains no definite shape, except that determined by the containing receptacle; an inelastic fluid.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • physical
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   A liquid can freeze to become a solid or evaporate into a gas.

   More examples (1)

   The dawn of the oil age was fairly recent. Although the stuff was used to waterproof boats in the Middle East 6,000 years ago, extracting it in earnest began only in 1859 after an oil strike in Pennsylvania.[…]It was used to make kerosene, the main fuel for artificial lighting after overfishing led to a shortage of whale blubber. Other liquids produced in the refining process, too unstable or smoky for lamplight, were burned or dumped.

2. Any of a class of consonant sounds that includes l and r.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Broader terms

   approximantconsonant

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   Many female forenames are regarded as euphonyms. What is and is not euphonious is necessarily subjective, but it could be suggested that names containing labials (b, m), sibilants (s, sh) and liquids (l, r) are more likely to be euphonyms than those that do not.

   […]-able does not attach to verbs ending in a postconsonantal liquid […]

Adjective

1. Flowing freely like water; fluid; not solid and not gaseous; composed of particles that move freely among each other on the slightest pressure.

   Usage

   • physical

   Examples

   liquid nitrogen

2. Easily sold or disposed of without losing value.

   Usage

   • of an asset

3. Having sufficient trading activity to make buying or selling easy.

   Usage

   • of a market

4. Flowing or sounding smoothly or without abrupt transitions or harsh tones.

   Examples

   a liquid melody

5. Belonging to a class of consonants comprising the laterals and the rhotics, which in many languages behave similarly.

   Examples

   /l/ and /r/ are liquid consonants.

6. Fluid and transparent.

   Examples

   the liquid air

Adjective

1. existing as or having characteristics of a liquid; especially tending to flow

   Antonyms

   gaseoussolid

   Examples

   water and milk and blood are liquid substances

2. filled or brimming with tears

   Synonyms

   swimming

   Examples

   swimming eyes

   sorrow made the eyes of many grow liquid

3. clear and bright

   Synonyms

   limpid

   Examples

   the liquid air of a spring morning

   eyes shining with a liquid luster

   More examples (1)

   limpid blue eyes

4. changed from a solid to a liquid state

   Synonyms

   meltedliquified

   Examples

   rivers filled to overflowing by melted snow

5. smooth and flowing in quality; entirely free of harshness

   Examples

   the liquid song of a robin

6. smooth and unconstrained in movement

   Synonyms

   fluentfluidsmooth

   Examples

   a long, smooth stride

   the fluid motion of a cat

   More examples (1)

   the liquid grace of a ballerina

7. in cash or easily convertible to cash

   Synonyms

   fluid

   Examples

   liquid (or fluid) assets

Noun

1. a substance that is liquid at room temperature and pressure

   Broader terms

   fluid

2. the state in which a substance exhibits a characteristic readiness to flow with little or no tendency to disperse and relatively high incompressibility

   Synonyms

   liquidnessliquidityliquid state

   Broader terms

   state of matterstate

3. fluid matter having no fixed shape but a fixed volume

   Broader terms

   fluid

4. a frictionless continuant that is not a nasal consonant (especially ‘l’ and ‘r’)

   Broader terms

   consonant