Plain meaning
Start with the shortest useful explanation before going deeper.
The process of repaying a borrower's debt by selling their collateral when their position's LTV exceeds the liquidation threshold. Liquidators (typically bots) repay a portion of the debt and receive the collateral at a discount (liquidation bonus, typically 5-10%). Liquidation keeps lending protocols solvent. On Solana, liquidation bots compete via Jito bundles.