1. Describing liquids
 a substance like water that is not a solid or gas:
liquid (noun C/U), (more formal and technical)
fluid (noun C/U)
◦ Water is a colourless liquid.

◦ Drink plenty of fluids, but do not eat anything.
◦ body fluids ◦ cleaning fluid
in the form of a liquid: liquid ◦ liquid soap ◦ liquid foods

a substance or object that is hard, not liquid: solid ; to change
from a liquid to a solid: solidify
◦ Butter is a solid, but when it
melts it becomes liquid.

to change from solid to liquid by means of heat: melt; to cause
sth to do this: melt sth
will melt.

◦ If you leave the butter in the sun, it
◦ Melt the butter in a pan.
a liquid which contains very little water is thick; opposite: thin
◦ Heat the sauce until it turns thick. ◦ thin soup.

the degree of thickness or firmness that a liquid has:
consistency
◦ Add water until the mixture has a smooth
consistency.

To make a liquid weaker by adding water or another liquid:
dilute sth; adjective: diluted

◦ Dilute the mixture with water.
a liquid which has been made stronger by the removal of some
liquid is concentrated
◦ concentrated orange juice.

the top part of an area of liquid: surface
◦ We could see
something floating on the surface of the water.

the thin solid surface that can form on liquids: skin ◦ When hot
milk cools, a skin forms on the top.

a liquid ( for example a mixture used in cooking sth) which has
no lumps is smooth; opposite: lumpy

a hollow ball containing air or gas, in liquid or floating in the air:
bubble; full of bubbles: bubbly

to produce bubbles or to rise with bubbles: bubble
◦ When the
liquid starts to bubble very quickly, turn down the heat.

Hot and cold liquids

To reach a high temperature at which bubbles rise to the surface
and the liquid changes to gas: boil
◦ Heat the liquid until it
boils.

to become hard (and often change to ice )because of extreme
cold: freeze

a liquid that is very cold is icy, (informal) freeze (cold) I had a
freezing cold shower.

fairly cold: cool

slightly warm: tepid

very hot scalding (hot), (informal) boiling (hot)

Different kinds of liquid

(in chemistry) a liquid substance which can dissolve metal and
may burn your skin: acid (noun C/U); containing acid: acid,
acidic; the quality of being acid: acidity (noun U)
acid
◦ sulphuric
◦ a slightly acidic substance
2. Measuring liquids

Metric measurements

The basic unit for measuring amounts of liquid: litre
◦ a litre of
wine

one thousandth of a litre (used for measuring small amounts):
milliliter (abbreviation ml)

Non-metric measurements

the basic unit for measuring amounts of liquid: pint (abbreviation
pt)
◦ a pint of milk/beer

two pints: 1 quart

eight pints:1 gallon

one twentieth of a UK pint (one sixteenth of a US pint): 1 fluid
ounce (abbreviation oz)
◦
a gallon of patrol
3. Solids in liquids

(used about sth which is solid) to mix with a liquid so that the
solid itself becomes liquid: dissolve (in sth)
◦ Wait until the
sugar dissolves in the water.

to make sth dissolve: dissolve sth (in sth)
◦ Dissolve the
powder in water.

something that can be dissolved is soluble
◦ Glucose is
soluble in the water.

a liquid (usually water) in which sth solid has been dissolved:
solution

to remove a liquid from a mixture of solids and liquids by pouring
them through a special container (a strainer): strain sth
◦
Strain the vegetables and serve.

to separate food from water by pouring them both through a
special container: drain sth

an apparatus for holding back solid substances from a liquid that
passes through it: filter

◦ Drain the pasta.
◦ a coffee filter
to pass a liquid through a filter: filter sth
4. Movement of liquids

to move in a continuous way: flow, run
through the centre of the town.

◦The river flows
◦ Is the tap running?
to flow away: drain (away); to make a liquid flow away: drain
◦
sth (away/ off from) Any excess liquid will drain away through
◦
this pipe. The doctor drained some fluid from the wound.

a long, hollow tube or cylinder made of plastic or metal that
carriers gas or liquid: pipe; to carry gas or liquid in pipes: pipe
sth a water pipe

◦ Water is piped to people’s homes.
a machine which is used for forcing a gas or a liquid in a
particular direction: pump
◦ a petrol pump

to force a gas or liquid to go in a particular direction: pump sth

something that stops liquid from getting in or out of sth: seal
The ship had watertight seals around the edges of the doors.

To take in and hold a liquid: soak sth up, absorb sth
cloth should soak up most of the water.
◦ This
◦ Within a short time,
the liquid had been entirely absorbed.

a material which absorbs liquids easily is absorbent
◦ Cotton
is very absorbent material.

a material which allows liquid to pass through slowly is porous
◦ porous rocks

to transfer liquid from one container or place to another: pour
sth
I’ll pour you a beer.
◦ He poured another can of oil into the
engine.
 to move a liquid round and round using a spoon, etc: stir sth; an
act of stirring: stir
bottom of the pan.
◦ You must stir the sauce or it will stick to the
◦ Give the mixture a quick stir.
 to move a liquid from side to side or up and down with short quick
movements: shake sth
◦ Shake the bottle before you open it.
 Spilling and leaking
 (used about a liquid) to come out of a container by accident: spill;
to cause a liquid to do this: sill sth
floor.
◦ The milk spilled all over the
◦ He spilled the milk all over the floor.
 to knock sth over (usually containing liquid): upset sth
◦ She
upset her coffee when she tried to reach for the sugar.
 to be so full of liquid that liquid pours over edge: overflow
◦ Don’t
leave the tap on or the bath will overflow.
 to escape through a hole or gap: leak
◦ Oil was leaking from the
tank.
 A hole which a liquid can get through; or the liquid which escapes:
leak
◦ I think there’s a leak in the water tank.
 to remove liquid or dirt with a cloth: wipe sth up
◦ Will somebody
please wipe up the mess?
 moving quickly or with force

to flow out or into sth quickly or in large amounts: pour,. stream
Water was pouring all over the floor.
 a constant movement of a liquid: stream a stream of blood
 a strong fast stream of sth, especially water: torrent :a torrent of
flood water swept through the valley.
 to flow out suddenly and in great quantities: gush: water came
gushing through the dam gates.
◦
 To come out with great force: spurt (out) . When I opened the
container the juice spurted out all over me.
 To be forced out of sth in a thin fast stream: squirt: to make a
liquid move in this way; squirt sth(at sb/sth) squirt sb/sth(with
sth): squirt a bit of washing up liquid into the sink.
 To fly about in drops and make sb /sth wet: splash (on/over/onto)
sb/sth: to cause a liquid to do this: splash sth on/over/onto)
sb/sth: The rainwater splashed onto her trousers as the car drove
quickly past. Stop it-you’re splashing me! The dog jumped into the
river with a great splash.
Moving slowly or in small amounts
 a small rounded mass of liquid: drop: a drop of blood/oil/water
 to fall in drops: drip: Sweat was dripping from his face.
 To flow in a thin steam: trickle: Sweat was beginning to trickle
down his face.
 To flow slowly out of sth: ooze (from sth).