1. to convert into a liver-like substance; to undergo hepatization (a pathological process in which lung tissue becomes firm and liver-like, typically due to pneumonia)
Usage: medical/technical term; often used in pathology to describe changes in lung tissue

Examples

• The pneumonia caused the patient's lung tissue to hepatize over several days.
• In severe cases of bacterial pneumonia, the affected lung may hepatize and consolidate.
• The pathologist noted that the tissue had begun to hepatize, indicating advanced infection.
• Hepatized lung tissue appears firm and reddish-brown under microscopic examination.