[f. L. ēdulcorāt- ppl. stem of ēdulcorāre, f. ē out + dulc-or sweetness.]
† 1. To sweeten, make sweet. Obs.
1661. Lovell, Hist. Anim. & Min., 415. Giving to the infants … water of succory, endive, and violets edulcorated.
1675. Evelyn, Terra (1729), 31. Dung of Swine … is said … to edulcorate … fruit so sensibly as to convert the bitterest Almond into sweet.
1710. T. Fuller, Pharm. Extemp., 60. Strain off, and edulcorate with Sugar to make it palatable.
2. To free from harsh and acrid properties; to purify, soften.
1641. French, Distill., iii. (1651), 75. Edulcorate it … by boiling it in spirit of Vineger.
1684. trans. Bonet’s Merc. Compit., III. 108/1. This Vinegar impregnated and edulcorated with the Lead.
1762. Gentl. Mag., 225. Experiments for edulcorating vicious train-oil.
3. Chem. To free from soluble particles by agitation or trituration in water, or by washing on a filter.
1669. W. Simpson, Hydrol. Chym., 14. By evaporating the corrosive Menstrum, then edultorating [sic].
1683. Salmon, Dom. Med., lxi. 320. Which you may edulcorate by many washings.
1754. Huxham, in Phil. Trans., XLVIII. 858. Let the salt be well washed off, and the mass well edulcorated.
1832. G. R. Porter, Porcelain & Gl., 218. The silex which is precipitated by this means must then be edulcorated and dried.
1844. North Brit. Rev., II. 72. He might … edulcorate the muriatic and fluoric radicals.
Hence Edulcorated ppl. a. Edulcorating vbl. sb., ppl. a., softening, sweetening, purifying. Edulcoration, the action or process of washing away particles soluble in water.
1660. Character of Italy, 83. We will allay the bitterness of this potion with the edulcorating ingredients of their virtues.
1718. Chamberlayne, Relig. Philos. (1730), II. xxi. § 27. This the Chymists call Edulcorating, that is to say, making sweet or fresh.
1758. [R. Dossie], Elaboratory laid open, 241. The edulcoration may be sufficiently perfected by such an ablution.
1776. Phil. Trans., LXVI. 609. A precipitation … after edulcoration and exsiccation, weighed forty-two grains.
1782. Withering, in Phil. Trans., LXXII. 332. The edulcorated powder was now perfectly white.
1805. Gregor, ibid. XCV. 336. The last portion of edulcorating water dropped through the filter of an opalish hue.
1866. Griffin, Chem. Handicraft (Heading of Chapter), Filtration, Percolation, Edulcoration.
