What does "deliquesce" mean?

To melt by absorbing water and disappearing.

What is a synonym for "deliquesce"?

Common synonyms include: abate, ablate, bate, consume, corrode, crumble.

Pronounced //ˌdɛlɪˈkwɛs//.

/ˌdɛlɪˈkwɛs/ verb

verb ·Uncommon ·College level

Verb

1
To melt by absorbing water and disappearing. intransitive
"But I could find no saltpetre; indeed, no nitrates of any kind. Doubtless they had deliquesced ages ago."
2
melt or become liquid by absorbing moisture from the air wordnet
3
To become liquid by absorbing water from the atmosphere and dissolving in it. intransitive, physical
"Some salts will deliquesce when left exposed."
4
melt away in the process of decay wordnet

"But I could find no saltpetre; indeed, no nitrates of any kind. Doubtless they had deliquesced ages ago."

From Latin dēliquēscō, from dē- + liquēscō (“to liquefy”).