v. Forms: 4–7 congele, 5 -gell-yn, 5–7 -ieale, 6 -geel, -iele, -ieyle, 6– congeal. [ME. congele(n, a. OF. congeler (14th c. in Littré) 3rd sing. pres. congèle, ad. L. congelāre, f. con- together + gelāre to freeze, f. gelum, gelu frost.]
I. trans.
1. To convert, by freezing, from a fluid or soft to a solid and rigid state, as water into ice: to freeze.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 96. So as the fire it hath aneled, Lich unto slime, which is congeled.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XI. i. (1495), 381. Whan ayre is congelyd it makyth snowe and hayle.
c. 1490. Promp. Parv., 90 (MS. K.). Congellyn, congelo.
1555. Eden, Decades, 325. Wine also and other moist thynges are so conieled that they may bee cutte with knyues.
1600. Hakluyt, Voy. (1810), III. 47. Enforced there to ende his life for colde, congealed and frozen to death.
1762. Falconer, Shipwr., Proem 41. Where arctic storms congeal eternal snow.
1845. Darwin, Voy. Nat., v. (1879), 88. The ground at the depth of a few feet remains perpetually congealed.
1853. Lyell, Princ. Geol., vi. (ed. 9), 80. The carcass of a rhinoceros … taken from the sand in which it must have remained congealed for ages.
b. To solidify by cooling (not frost).
1674. Grew, Anat. Plants, Lect., I. 233. The Oyl … at last is congealed, or hardned into a white Fat or Butter.
1686. W. Harris, trans. Lemery’s Chem. (ed. 2), 41. Congele is to let some matter that is melted fix, or grow into a consistence.
† 2. To solidify as by freezing, to make crystalline or solid from a fluid state. Obs.
1384. [see CONGEALED 2].
c. 1400. Test. Love, II. (1560), 291/1. This precious Margarite … discended … from his heauenliche dewe, nourished and congeled in meeknesse.
1555. Eden, Decades, 39. The water is congeled into moste pure & whyte salte.
1655. W. F., Meteors, V. 156. The cause why Stones melt not, as Metalls do … because they are congealed past that degree.
1678. R. R[ussell], trans. Geber, I. iii. 6. Filter the Solution, which congeal by gentle Fire.
1727. Philip Quarll (1816), 40. Salt, congealed by the sun.
† b. To concrete or cement (grains) together.
1655. W. F., Meteors, V. 138. Sand … consisting of many small bodies which are congealed into stones.
† c. To condense (vapor) into liquid. Obs.
1661. [see CONGEALED 2].
3. To make (a liquid) viscid or jelly-like; to stiffen, curdle, clot, coagulate (esp. the blood; often in fig. sense: cf. curdle).
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg. (MS. A.), 66. Þanne by grace sum greet drope of blood may be congelid togidere.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb. (1586), 89 b. A precious conserve, and marmelade, being congealed with long seething.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., Induct. ii. 134. Seeing too much sadnesse hath congeal’d your blood.
1732. Arbuthnot, Rules of Diet, 310. Cordials made of Spirituous Liquors, add Strength to the Mill, but congeal the Stream.
1847. Longf., Ev., II. iii. Here no hungry winter congeals our blood like the rivers.
4. fig.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., IV. (1578), 97. Men can be congeled together into no name of religion either true or false, vnlesse [etc.].
a. 1600. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., VI. vi. § 17. A heart congealed and hardened in sin.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 118, ¶ 10. Curiosity … may be dissipated in trifles or congealed by indolence.
1760. Goldsm., Cit. W., lxix. When the people have sufficiently shuddered at that, they are next congealed with a frightful account [etc.].
1865. Lecky, Ration., I. iv. 390. It was not till about the third century that the moral sentiments … were congealed into an elaborate theology.
II. intr.
5. To become solid and rigid by freezing; to freeze; to become solid by cooling.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xvii. 79. For þe grete calde and continuele frost þe water congelez in to cristall.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XIV. xxi. Wine of it owne nature will not congeale and freeze.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 847. In the middest of it [molten lead], when it beginneth to congeale, make a little dint, or Hole.
1811. A. T. Thomson, Lond. Disp. (1818), 667. When cooled down to –46°, ether congeals in brilliant transparent plates.
1830. Herschel, Stud. Nat. Phil., II. vi. 157. [The temperature] at which quicksilver congeals.
6. gen. To become solid by a process resembling freezing: † to crystallize, petrify, etc.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), v. 15. Þe water of þe whilk [laake] ilk a ȝere … congelez in to gude salt.
1568. Bible (Bishops’), Ex. xv. 8. The fluddes stoode still as an heape, and the deepe water congealed togeather.
1635. N. Carpenter, Geog. Del., II. vi. 93. The Water of it’s owne accord congeales into salt.
17[?]. Berkeley, Cave of Dunmore, Wks. IV. 504. From each of ’em there distils a drop of clear water, which, congealing at the bottom, forms a round, hard, and white stone.
† b. To coalesce in a concrete mass. Obs.
1586. Cogan, Haven Health (1636), 165. Their sliminesse will cause the gravell to congeale, and gather to a stone.
7. To stiffen into a viscid jelly-like consistency; to coagulate, clot, or curdle, as milk or blood.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), xiv. 152. It [Manna] cometh of the dew of heuene, þat falleth vpon the herbes … And it congeleth [Roxb. coagules) & becometh all white & swete.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg. The blode that can not congele.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, I. xxii. 34. The juyce … causeth the same milke to congeale and crudde.
c. 1590. Marlowe, Faust., v. Wks. (Rtldg.), 86/1. My blood congeals and I can write no more.
8. fig.
1595. Shaks., John, II. i. 479. Least zeale now melted … Coole and congeale again to what it was.
a. 1839. Praed, Poems (1864), I. 210. Now all is over! passion is congealing.
1860. Ruskin, Mod. Paint., VIII. iii. § 5. Their trees always had a tendency to congeal into little acicular thorn-hedges, and never tossed free.
