freezing

freezing, change of a substance from the liquid to the solid state. The temperature at which freezing occurs for a pure crystalline solid is called the freezing point and is a characteristic of the particular substance. The reverse process, the change of a solid to a liquid, is called melting. See melting point; refrigeration.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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