thickening
thickening — 名詞
- thickeningsingular
- thickeningsplural
1. the process by which a liquid or soft substance changes from a runny or thin sta
變稠
液體變得濃稠的過程
the process by which a liquid or soft substance changes from a runny or thin state to a denser, less liquid one
The chef watched the thickening of the sauce as it simmered on the stove.
廚師看著醬汁在爐上燉煮時慢慢變稠。
uncountable noun with 'the ... of' pattern
Cornflour mixed with cold water speeds up the thickening of gravies and stews.
玉米粉加冷水攪拌，可以加快肉汁和燉菜變稠的速度。
collocation: thickening of [food]
The natural pectin in the fruit causes the thickening of the jam as it cools.
水果中的天然果膠會讓果醬在冷卻時自然變稠。
Constant stirring prevents lumps during the thickening of a white sauce on the hob.
在爐上煮白醬時要不停攪拌，才不會在變稠過程中結塊。
- coagulation
more specific — refers to liquid turning semi-solid through a chemical reaction, not just becoming denser
- concentration
broader — can apply to removing water from a solution, not just natural thickening
- gelation
technical term used in food science and chemistry for the formation of a gel
- thinning
the opposite process of becoming more runny or liquid
2. a part of a surface or body tissue that is noticeably thicker or more swollen th
增厚處
組織或表面變厚或腫脹的部位
a part of a surface or body tissue that is noticeably thicker or more swollen than the surrounding area
The dermatologist felt a small thickening on Marco's forearm and decided to take a sample.
皮膚科醫師摸到 Marco 前臂上有一小塊增厚處，決定取樣檢查。
countable noun — 'a thickening' as a physical spot
An X-ray revealed a bony thickening on the athlete's elbow from years of heavy training.
X 光顯示這位運動員的手肘因多年高強度訓練而出現骨質增厚。
domain: medical — 'bony thickening'
The gardener found a strange thickening on the stem of a rose bush.
園丁注意到圍籬旁那棵老玫瑰的莖上有一處奇怪的增厚。
A thickening near the tree trunk's base can point to an infection in the bark.
樹幹基部附近的增厚顯示樹皮內可能已經受到感染。
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 — this sense refers to a specific physical location or spot that has thickened, not the process of thickening.
常見錯誤
3. a substance you mix into a runny fluid so it becomes denser and less watery
增稠劑
加入液體使其變稠的物質
a substance you mix into a runny fluid so it becomes denser and less watery
Arrowroot powder is a popular gluten-free thickening for sauces and fruit desserts.
葛粉是一種很受歡迎的無麩質增稠劑，適合用來做醬汁和水果甜點。
used with 'for' — 'thickening for [dish]'
The recipe recommends cornflour as the best thickening for the gravy at Christmas dinner.
食譜建議用玉米粉作為聖誕大餐肉汁的最佳增稠劑。
Many ice-cream brands add a vegetable-based thickening to improve the texture of their products.
許多冰淇淋品牌會添加植物性增稠劑來改善產品的口感。
Hassan used a pinch of xanthan gum as a thickening in his dairy-free chocolate pudding.
Hassan 在他的無奶巧克力布丁裡加了一小撮黃原膠作為增稠劑。
- thickener
the more direct everyday synonym; 'thickening' as a noun for the substance is slightly more formal
- binding agent
broader — binding agents hold ingredients together, not just thicken liquids
- gelling agent
more specific — creates a gel-like solid rather than just a thicker liquid
用法筆記
Frequently used in cooking and food-manufacturing contexts. Common in ingredient lists on packaged foods.
thickening — 形容詞
- thickeningpositive
- more thickeningcomparative
- most thickeningsuperlative
1. describing an ingredient or product that is intended to make a liquid thicker an
增稠的
用來讓液體變稠的（成分或產品）
describing an ingredient or product that is intended to make a liquid thicker and less runny when added to it
Thickening agents like cornflour should be mixed with cold water before use in hot liquids.
像玉米粉這類的增稠用添加物，要先和冷水拌勻再倒入熱液體中。
adjectival use before 'agent', 'powder', 'shampoo' — always attributive
The packet's label reads 'thickening powder for instant soups and stews' in bold print.
包裝上的標籤用粗體字寫著「即食湯品和燉菜專用增稠粉」。
Beatriz bought a thickening shampoo designed to add volume to her thin, fine hair.
Beatriz 買了一瓶增稠用洗髮精，想讓自己細軟的頭髮看起來更豐盈。
This thickening additive helps achieve a creamy texture in dairy-based products without extra fat.
這種增稠用添加物能在不增加脂肪的情況下，讓乳製品呈現 creamy 的口感。
- thickening-agent
identical in meaning; written as a compound noun when used with a hyphen
用法筆記
Almost always used attributively (before a noun). Typical nouns it modifies include: agent, powder, shampoo, additive, ingredient.
2. gradually becoming thicker, denser, or more opaque — used especially of fog, clo
變濃
正在變得濃稠或密集的
gradually becoming thicker, denser, or more opaque — used especially of fog, clouds, smoke, darkness, or liquids that are changing state
The thickening fog reduced visibility on the motorway to less than ten metres.
漸漸變濃的霧氣讓高速公路上的能見度降到不到十公尺。
common collocation: 'thickening fog'
Thickening clouds in the late afternoon sky hinted at a thunderstorm within the hour.
午后天空逐漸變濃的雲層預告著一場雷雨即將來臨。
The thickening darkness forced the campers to set up their tents much earlier than planned.
變濃的夜色迫使露營者比預訂時間提早搭好帳篷。
A thickening layer of smoke filled the kitchen when the oil pan caught fire.
隨著油鍋在爐上起火，廚房裡開始充滿一層變濃的煙霧。
The thickening mixture bubbled loudly as Stephanie turned up the heat.
變濃的混合物在 Stephanie 把爐火轉大後開始劇烈冒泡。
用法筆記
Describes a gradual observable change. Commonly used with weather phenomena (fog, clouds, darkness) and with cooking mixtures. Not used for sudden changes.