coagulum

coagulum — noun

1. a thick, semi-solid piece that forms when a liquid such as blood becomes thicker

1.nounC1
Definition

a thick, semi-solid piece that forms when a liquid such as blood becomes thicker and turns into a solid state, especially inside the body or in a laboratory process

Example

After Owen cut his finger, a small coagulum formed over the wound within minutes.

form over [wound] — describes natural clotting

Dr. Nikos examined the coagulum under the microscope for any sign of infection.

Common collocations
  • blood coagulum
  • form a coagulum
  • remove a coagulum
  • coagulum of [substance]
Synonyms
  • clot

    everyday term; almost always used for blood rather than other liquids

  • curd

    restricted to coagulated milk in cooking; never used for blood

  • concretion

    hard, stony mass (e.g. kidney stone); implies a mineral-like solid rather than a soft gel

Grammar Patterns

a coagulum of [substance]

coagulum forms in/on [location]

Usage Note

Frequently replaced by the everyday term 'clot' in ordinary speech; 'coagulum' is preferred in formal medical writing and laboratory reports. Outside of blood contexts, 'coagulum' can describe solids formed from milk, egg whites, or chemical solutions.

Common Mistakes

The doctor applied a coagulum to stop the bleeding.
The doctor applied a coagulant to stop the bleeding.
Coagulum is the mass that forms, not the substance that causes clotting.
Coagulum happens when blood thickens.
Coagulation happens when blood thickens.
Coagulum is the resulting mass, not the process.

Word family

  • coagulate
    verbC1
  • coagulation
    nounC1
  • coagulant
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Clot is the most common synonym, used almost exclusively for blood coagulum in everyday speech and medicine. Curd refers specifically to the coagulated part of milk, used in cheese-making and rarely for blood or other liquids. Concretion describes a hard, stony mass (such as a kidney stone or mineral deposit) and implies a solid, mineral-like structure rather than the soft gel of a typical coagulum. In formal medical writing, coagulum is the broadest term and can refer to any coagulation product, whether in blood, milk, or a laboratory solution. For example: 'The surgeon removed the coagulum from the surgical site' — here, using 'clot' would be acceptable, but 'coagulum' sounds more precise and clinical.

clot ↗curd ↗concretion ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Coagulum comes directly from Latin coagulum, meaning 'that which curdles' — related to the verb cogere (to drive together or collect). The English word has been used in medical writing since the 1600s to describe the solid mass that results from coagulation.

First known use

1658

1658, in the meaning defined above