What is the medical term for the solidifying of a liquid mass to form a clot?

The term that specifically refers to the process of a liquid mass solidifying to form a clot is "coagulation." Coagulation is a complex biological process that involves the transformation of liquid blood into a gel or solid form, which is critical to wound healing as it prevents excessive bleeding. This process is mediated by platelets and the clotting factors in the blood, leading to the formation of a stable clot that aids in the repair of damaged blood vessels.

Clotting is often used interchangeably with coagulation in everyday language, but medically speaking, coagulation is the more precise term encompassing the biochemical processes underlying clot formation. Thrombosis refers to the formation of a blood clot within a blood vessel, which can lead to vascular obstruction but does not specifically describe the process of clot formation itself. Occlusion is a broader term that indicates the blockage of a blood vessel, which may or may not result from clotting. Thus, coagulation is the accurate terminology for the process of solidifying a liquid mass into a clot.