Liquid

How to spell liquid

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce liquid

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does liquid mean?

1. adjectiveExisting as a flowing substance that is neither solid nor gas; also, of assets, easily converted into cash.
2. nounA substance that flows freely and takes the shape of its container, such as water or oil.

Liquid in a sentence

• adjective

  The medicine comes in liquid form for patients who cannot swallow tablets.

• noun

  Pour the liquid slowly into the measuring jug to avoid spills.

• adjective

  Keeping some savings in a liquid account lets you withdraw cash quickly.

• noun

  Airport security limits how much liquid you may carry in hand luggage.

Where does liquid come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word comes from the Latin adjective liquidus, meaning 'flowing', 'moist', or 'fluid', which was built on the verb liquere, literally 'to be fluid' or 'to be clear'. English took it on in the late 1300s, at first as an adjective describing anything that flowed freely rather than staying solid, and only later as a noun naming such a substance. The same liquere root also feeds the words 'liquor' and 'liquidate', and even 'prolix' (from a sense of flowing on at length). The spelling keeps the Latin 'qu' cluster, which is the main thing to watch: the sound is a clear 'kw', so the silent-looking pairing of q and u stays intact. A later financial meaning, assets that can flow easily into cash, grew naturally out of the original image of something that pours.

How the word is built

• liqu- (from Latin liquere: to be fluid)
• -id (adjective suffix)