mid-15c., "a harmony of the Gospels;" 1620s, "action of fusing together," from Late Latin conflationem (nominative conflatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin conflare "bring together, compose," also "melt together," literally "to blow together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + flare "to blow" (from PIE root *bhle- "to blow"). Meaning "inadvertent combination of two readings of the same passage" is from 1881.
early 15c., "act or process of becoming liquid," from French liquéfaction, from Late Latin liquefactionem (nominative liquefactio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin liquefacere "to make liquid, melt" (see liquefy). Formerly also used in a metaphysical sense, of the melting of the soul in the ardor of devotion. Related: Liquefacient.
Whenas in silks my Julia goes,
Then, then (methinks) how sweetly flows
That liquefaction of her clothes.
[Robert Herrick (1591-1647)]
late 14c., relenten, Anglo-French relenter, "to melt, soften in substance, dissolve," ultimately from re- in some sense + Latin lentus "slow, viscous, supple" (see lithe), perhaps on model of Old French rallentir, "but the immediate source is not clear" [OED]. Figurative sense of "become less harsh or cruel, soften in temper" is recorded from 1520s; the notion probably is of a hard heart melting with pity. Related: Relented; relenting.
It forms all or part of: alchemy; chyle; chyme; confound; confuse; diffuse; diffusion; effuse; effusion; effusive; fondant; fondue; font (n.2) "complete set of characters of a particular face and size of type;" found (v.2) "to cast metal;" foundry; funnel; fuse (v.) "to melt, make liquid by heat;" fusible; fusion; futile; futility; geyser; gush; gust (n.) "sudden squall of wind;" gut; infuse; ingot; parenchyma; perfuse; perfusion; profuse; refund; refuse (v.) "reject, disregard, avoid;" refuse (n.) "waste material, trash;" suffuse; suffusion; transfuse; transfusion.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Greek khein "to pour," khoane "funnel," khymos "juice;" Latin fundere (past participle fusus) "melt, cast, pour out;" Gothic giutan, Old English geotan "to pour;" Old English guttas (plural) "bowels, entrails;" Old Norse geysa "to gush;" German Gosse "gutter, drain."
In English, of sounds from 1630s. Financial sense of "capable of being converted to cash" is first recorded 1818, from earlier use in Scots Law (17c.) in reference to debts that had been proved (in court, etc.).
1550s, "act of melting by heat," from French fusion or directly from Latin fusionem (nominative fusio) "an outpouring, effusion," noun of action from fusus, past participle of fundere "to pour, melt" (from nasalized form of PIE root *gheu- "to pour"). Meaning "union or blending of different things; state of being united or blended" is by 1776; used especially in 19c, of politics, in early 20c. of psychology, atoms, and jazz (in nuclear physics sense, first recorded 1947; in musical sense, by 1972).
late 14c. dissolven, "to break up, disunite, separate into parts" (transitive, of material substances), also "to liquefy by the disintegrating action of a fluid," also intransitive, "become fluid, be converted from a solid to a liquid state," from Latin dissolvere "to loosen up, break apart," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + solvere "to loosen, untie," from PIE *se-lu-, from reflexive pronoun *s(w)e- (see idiom) + root *leu- "to loosen, divide, cut apart."
General sense of "to melt, liquefy by means of heat or moisture" is from late 14c. Meaning "to disband" (a parliament or an assembly) is attested from early 15c. Related: Dissolved; dissolving.
