0

How to describe the dry, drying, or solid state for such as blood?

Do people just say blood dries or the blood is dried?

I did a web search of "blood solidifies", but it did not look like a correct usage.

I would like to understand both colloquial and formal usage of this description.

Another thing is that pudding does not dry out because when it solidifies, it ends in a gel-like, soft, and flexible state. How do I describe this solidifying and have-solidified state?

Improve this question
1
  • 2
    Blood coagulates (forms a gooey clot), then dries into something a little tarry-looking, then dries completely. It does not go through a flexible gel phase.
    – anongoodnurse
    Commented Feb 2, 2015 at 7:27

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
2

Dessicated

Merriam Webster says

des·ic·cate

\ˈde-si-ˌkāt\ verb des·ic·cat·eddes·ic·cat·ing transitive verb

1 :to dry up

2 :to preserve (a food) by drying :dehydrate

Improve this answer
6
  • Thank you very much, but I have a question. Can desiccate describe a pudding, which is not thoroughly dried?
    – Superuser
    Commented Feb 2, 2015 at 7:22
  • @Superuser Desiccate is mostly used for making powder out of something fluent. E.g. milk or coconut, as M-W also states later: "add a cup of desiccated coconut to the mix". What you are looking for is my suggestion coagulate or another word fitting better the case of pudding: congelate
    – AverageGatsby
    Commented Feb 2, 2015 at 7:31
  • 1
    @AverageGatsby Perhaps you mean fluid?
    – user63230
    Commented Feb 2, 2015 at 8:27
  • @andy256 oh well, you got me. Thanks :). Nevertheless that doesn't change the fact that I am right.
    – AverageGatsby
    Commented Feb 2, 2015 at 8:31
  • @AverageGatsby I'm sure the OP will decide what word suits them best :-)
    – user63230
    Commented Feb 2, 2015 at 8:40
1

Congeal or coagulate are decent choices. Or you could always go the more "artistic" route and use a simile instead of one specific word, "The pool of blood by the victim's head had hardened to a state somewhere between old pudding and candle wax."

Improve this answer
0

coagulation / to coagulate medicinenet

The clotting of blood

M-W says:

coagulate (verb)
to become thick and partly solid

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.