noun
( -s )
1.
a. : the act or process of working a wet mixture of earth or concrete into a solid impervious mass
b.
(1) : the compacting of a soil surface by water
(2) : the dipping of roots into thin mud before transplanting
2. : the art or process of converting pig iron into wrought iron or now rarely steel by subjecting it to heat and frequent stirring in a small reverberatory furnace in the presence of oxidizing substances by which it is freed from most of its carbon and other impurities