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v. co·a·lesced, co·a·lesc·ing, co·a·lesc·es v.intr. 1. To come or grow together into a single mass: the material that coalesced to form stars. 2. To come together as a recognizable whole or entity: the stories that coalesced as the history of the movement. 3. To come together for a single purpose: The rebel units coalesced into one army to fight the invaders. See Synonyms at mix. v.tr. 1. To cause to coalesce as a single mass: The atoms were coalesced into a larger molecule. 2. To cause to coalesce as a single whole or entity: The survey responses were coalesced into a single document. [Latin coalēscere : co-, co- + alēscere, to grow, inchoative of alere, to nourish; see al-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] co′a·lescence n. co′a·lescent adj. |
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