A chemical substance that causes particles suspended in a liquid to clump together into larger masses that can be filtered out.
From 'floccul-' plus the suffix '-ant' (an agent that causes action), from Latin roots meaning 'small wool tuft.' Used in chemistry and water treatment since the 19th century.
When you drink tap water, flocculants have probably already done their invisible job making dirty particles stick together so they can be removed—it's like giving particles permission to hug each other!
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