One of the mysteries of the English language finally explained.
Thicken or congeal.‘inspissated secretions’
solidify, set, become hard, become solid, congeal, clot, coagulate, stiffen, thicken, cake, freeze, bake, crystallizeView synonyms
- ‘However, determined tunnelling into the inspissated mass of detail reveals some fascinating things.’
- ‘At autopsy, the airways are often devoid of inspissated secretions and contain more neutrophils and eosinophils in the submucosa.’
- ‘Yet the activity on the new issue markets simply does not support the prevailing, inspissated gloom.’
- ‘Coming back to Japan and the inspissated gloom hereabouts - as found among artists, novelists, intellectuals and the press - my view is that it is always going to be there, and is a great thing for Japan.’
- ‘In these studies, ‘mucous balls,’ an accumulation of inspissated mucus that adheres to the catheter tip, caused infrequent, but serious, complications.’
- ‘Secretions become viscous and inspissated (ie, glutinous and thickened by evaporation or absorption), and calcium carbonate precipitates, which results in ductal stone formation.’
Early 17th century: from late Latin inspissat- ‘made thick’, from the verb inspissare (based on Latin spissus ‘thick, dense’).