Flocculent
[FLAHK-yə-lənt]
Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Latin, early 19th century
1.
Having or resembling tufts of wool.
2.
Having a loosely clumped texture.
Examples of Flocculent in a sentence
"The flocculent sheep were ready for their spring shearing."
"Your potting soil should be slightly damp and flocculent."
About Flocculent
If the word "flocculent" makes you think of a flock of sheep, you'd be correct. In Latin, "floccus" means "tuft of wool," so the adjective "flocculent" can apply to the woolly sheep themselves, or anything with a similarly tufted texture.
Did you Know?
The adjective "flocculent" describes a tufty texture, but there's also a noun, "flocculation." This chemical process occurs when clumps of a substance start to form. It's important for water-treatment processes and even beer brewing. Yeast flocculation is a vital step in brewing your favorite IPA.