effloresce: Meaning and Definition of

ef•flo•resce

Pronunciation: (ef"lu-res'), [key]
— -resced, -resc•ing.
  1. to burst into bloom; blossom.
    1. to change either throughout or on the surface to a mealy or powdery substance upon exposure to air, as a crystalline substance through loss of water of crystallization.
    2. to become incrusted or covered with crystals of salt or the like through evaporation or chemical change.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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