Standard Lemma guide

flocculate

adj · noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Having flock form or forms.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: floccular, flocculated, flocculent

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A mass that has suffered flocculation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To collect (suspended particles, sediment, etc.) into loose, fluffy aggregations resembling tufts of wool.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

Examples

  • When applied to clay soils it [lime] binds the small particles together, or flocculates them.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

form into an aggregated lumpy or fluffy mass

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the protoplasms flocculated

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change

5

verb

Meaning 5

cause to become a fluffy or lumpy aggregate

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The chemist flocculated the suspended material

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

History

Etymology

Scientific internationalism; from Latin flocculus + -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3), diminutive of floccus (“a lock, tuft”).

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: höytälöitynyt — Having flock form or forms
  • German: geflockt — Having flock form or forms
  • Swedish: flockulerad — Having flock form or forms
  • Bulgarian: флокулат (flokulat) — A mass that has suffered coagulation
  • Finnish: höytälöitymä — A mass that has suffered coagulation
  • Finnish: flokkulaatti — A mass that has suffered coagulation
  • German: Flokkulat — A mass that has suffered coagulation
  • Russian: флокула́т (flokulát) — A mass that has suffered coagulation
  • Swedish: flockulat — A mass that has suffered coagulation
  • Arabic: تَلَبَّدَ (talabbada) — To collect forms like flocks
  • Finnish: höytälöityä — To collect forms like flocks
  • French: floculer — To collect forms like flocks
  • German: ausflocken — To collect forms like flocks
  • Italian: flocculare — To collect forms like flocks
  • Russian: флокули́ровать (flokulírovatʹ) — To collect forms like flocks
  • Russian: выпада́ть хло́пьями (vypadátʹ xlópʹjami) — To collect forms like flocks
  • Swedish: flockulera — To collect forms like flocks
  • Welsh: clystyru — To collect forms like flocks
  • Welsh: gronynnu — To collect forms like flocks