liquid

The word “liquid” means a substance, such as water, that flows freely and takes the shape of its container without a fixed shape of its own. In plain terms, something that flows like water, or, for money/assets, something quickly convertible to cash.

“Liquid” is pronounced LIHK-wihd (/ˈlɪk.wɪd/ in IPA).

Here is “liquid” used in a sentence: “The liquid spilled across the counter before she could catch it.”

Words with a similar meaning to “liquid” include fluid and fluxive.

The opposite of “liquid” — its antonyms — are gas, solid, illiquid and gaseous.

Depending on how it is used, “liquid” can be a noun and an adjective.

The word “liquid” comes from Latin. From Latin liquidus ("fluid, clear"), from liquere ("to be fluid").

“Liquid” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Every liquid is a fluid, but not every fluid is a liquid. A fluid is any substance that flows, which includes gases as well as liquids, while a liquid specifically flows freely and takes the shape of its container without expanding to fill it the way a gas does.

A solid keeps its own fixed shape; a liquid flows freely and takes the shape of its container while keeping a fixed volume; a gas has neither a fixed shape nor a fixed volume and expands to fill whatever space it is in. These are the three everyday states of matter.

Yes, when the state of the water matters. "Liquid water" distinguishes flowing water from ice (solid) and water vapour (gas), which is why the phrase is standard in science writing, such as discussions of whether a planet could hold liquid water.