effloresce
/ˌɛfləˈrɛs
/verb [no object]
1(Of a substance) lose moisture and turn to a fine powder on exposure to air.It effloresces in dry air and loses its water of crystallisation when heated....
- It effloresces when exposed to warm air.
1.1(Of salts) come to the surface of brickwork, rock, or other material and crystallize there.These clay plains are irregularly veined in places with crystalline gypsum, and are impregnated with saliferous matter, which effloresces on the surface....
- These physical characteristics are common to several other smaller lakes which are found in this region of country, where salt is so abundant, that in many places it effloresces on the surface of the earth.
1.2(Of a surface) become covered with salt particles.While it will not result in a quantitative amount of efflorescence present, it will indicate if the brick effloresces or not....
- Its surface effloresces readily and is covered with white powder after long exposure to the air.
2Reach an optimum stage of development: simple concepts that effloresce into testable conclusions...
- He anticipated that these spiritual assemblies would effloresce into the house of justice.
- It starts out slow and ethereal, but when the chorus comes, it effloresces into a symphony of preternatural sound that blows you away.
Derivatives
efflorescence
/ noun ...- I think it was a very happy accident because at the time I was looking for new work to publish, there was an efflorescence in Scottish writing.
- Maybe we really are on the verge of a renaissance, a footballing efflorescence that will see scores of talented Scottish players wooing back fans and cutting a dash on the world stage.
- It was, even by the standards of this over-hyped era, a remarkable efflorescence of talent.
efflorescent
/ adjective ...- The morning light as it falls on the efflorescent trees, distant Blue Mountains and the ‘winged-beauty’ of birds makes for paradise.
- This will cause mould stains and the possibility of efflorescent salts, a white fluffy substance, appearing.
- Gypsum occurs as seams in the sedimentary rocks and as postmining efflorescent needles.
Origin
Late 18th century: from Latin efflorescere, from e- (variant of ex-) 'out' + florescere 'begin to bloom' (from florere 'to bloom', from flos, flor- 'flower').