curdling
Proteins clumping together
Curdling is the process of separating into curds—the clumping that happens when milk sours or when acid meets dairy.
The word extends to anything that thickens unpleasantly or inspires visceral dread: a blood-curdling scream, The thought of public speaking was enough to curdle my stomach.
What curdles loses its smooth consistency, literally or figuratively.
Liquid from curdled dairy
- rennetMilk-curdling enzyme complex
- caseinDairy phosphoprotein for industry
- clabberingMilk thickening into curds
- milkMammalian nursing fluid
yogurt · kefir · buttermilk · cheese · ricotta · paneer · quark · labneh
Blood solidifying process
- congealingThickening into solid
- clumpingForming into lumps
- thickeningIncreasing in density
- solidificationTransition to firm state
lumping · setting · fibrin · platelets · hemostasis · thrombosis · blood · thrombin
Loud sharp cry
- shriekShrill, piercing cry
- horrorExtreme fear or disgust
- dreadIntense anticipatory fear
- chillingCausing fear or cold
terrifying · bone-chilling · frightening · spine-tingling · hair-raising · macabre · sinister · eerie
whey
Liquid from curdled dairy
- rennetMilk-curdling enzyme complex
- caseinDairy phosphoprotein for industry
- clabberingMilk thickening into curds
milk · yogurt · kefir · buttermilk · cheese · ricotta · paneer · quark · labneh · culturing
clotting
Blood solidifying process
- congealingThickening into solid
- clumpingForming into lumps
- thickeningIncreasing in density
solidification · lumping · setting · fibrin · platelets · hemostasis · thrombosis · blood · thrombin · prothrombin
scream
Loud sharp cry
chilling · terrifying · bone-chilling · frightening · spine-tingling · hair-raising · macabre · sinister · eerie · creepy
souring
Becoming acidic or hostile
separated · lumpy · turned · acidic · tartness · split · broken · ruined · decomposed · fermented
- dairymilk, butter, cream, cheese, yogurt
- cooking flawsburned, overcooked, undercooked, scorched, raw
- cooking mistakesburnt toast, burned food, undercooked, burnt popcorn, overcooked
- Deteriorationdecay, rot, degradation, deterioration, corrosion
- food spoilagerot, mold growth, spoilage, rancidity, staleness
- spoilagerotten, stale, moldy, rotting, spoiled
curdlinghomogenizing
Making consistent throughout
blending · emulsifying · dissolving · smoothing · liquefying
curdlingsmoothing
Reducing irregularities systematically
thinning · melting · liquifying · softening · flowing
curdlingsoothing
Reducing distress or discomfort
calming · comforting · warming · reassuring · relaxing