sublimate (redirected from sublimations)

sub·li·mate  (sbl-mt)

v. sub·li·mat·ed, sub·li·mat·ing, sub·li·mates

v.tr.

1. Chemistry To cause (a solid or gas) to change state without becoming a liquid.

2.

a. To modify the natural expression of (a primitive, instinctual impulse) in a socially acceptable manner.

b. To divert the energy associated with (an unacceptable impulse or drive) into a personally and socially acceptable activity.

v.intr. Chemistry

To transform directly from the solid to the gaseous state or from the gaseous to the solid state without becoming a liquid.

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[Latin sublmre, sublmt-, to elevate, from sublmis, uplifted.]

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sublimate

Verb

[-mating, -mated] Psychol to direct the energy of (a strong desire, esp. a sexual one) into activities that are socially more acceptable [Latin sublimare to elevate]

sublimation n

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	sublimate - the product of vaporization of a solid gas - a fluid in the gaseous state having neither independent shape nor volume and being able to expand indefinitely bichloride of mercury, corrosive sublimate, mercuric chloride, mercury chloride - a white poisonous soluble crystalline sublimate of mercury; used as a pesticide or antiseptic or wood preservative
Verb	1.	sublimate - direct energy or urges into useful activities airt, redirect - channel into a new direction; "redirect your attention to the danger from the fundamentalists" desexualise, desexualize - direct one's libidinous urges into another direction
	2.	sublimate - make more subtle or refined rarefy, subtilize alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"
	3.	sublimate - remove impurities from, increase the concentration of, and separate through the process of distillation; "purify the water" distill, make pure, purify chemical science, chemistry - the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions ameliorate, improve, meliorate, amend, better - to make better; "The editor improved the manuscript with his changes" distill, distil - undergo the process of distillation rectify, refine - reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; separate from extraneous matter or cleanse from impurities; "refine sugar" purge - rid of impurities; "purge the water"; "purge your mind"
	4.	sublimate - change or cause to change directly from a solid into a vapor without first melting; "sublime iodine"; "some salts sublime when heated" sublime aerify, gasify, vaporize, vaporise - turn into gas; "The substance gasified"
	5.	sublimate - vaporize and then condense right back again sublime change - undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night" resublime - sublime (a compound) once again
Adj.	1.	sublimate - made pure pure - free of extraneous elements of any kind; "pure air and water"; "pure gold"; "pure primary colors"; "the violin's pure and lovely song"; "pure tones"; "pure oxygen"

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sublimate

verb channel, transfer, divert, redirect, turn