Floc

/flɒk/ noun

Definition

A loosely clumped aggregate of particles in a fluid, or the process of forming such clumps; used in water treatment and chemistry.

Etymology

From Latin 'floccus' meaning lock of wool or tuft, used in modern scientific terminology. Adopted into English from Latin via chemistry and water treatment vocabulary in the 19th-20th centuries.

Kelly Says

Floc is crucial to water treatment—when you add certain chemicals, suspended particles clump together into larger, heavier flocs that can be filtered out, cleaning millions of gallons of drinking water daily through a process based on this principle.

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