percolate
Use Percolate in a sentence
kəˌleɪt; verb (used with object)
1.
to cause (a liquid) to pass through a porous body; filter.
2.
(of a liquid) to filter through; permeate.
3.
to brew (coffee) in a percolator.
verb (used without object)
4.
to pass through a porous substance; filter; ooze; seep; trickle.
5.
to become percolated: The coffee is starting to percolate.
6.
to become active, lively, or spirited.
7.
to show activity, movement, or life; grow or spread gradually; germinate: Interest in the idea has begun to percolate.
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Percolate
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is subtilize. Does it mean:
| to spend time idly; loaf. |
| to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about. |
noun
8.
a percolated liquid.
Origin:
1620–30; < Latin percōlātus, past participle of percōlāre to filter. See per-, colander, -ate1
1620–30; < Latin percōlātus, past participle of percōlāre to filter. See per-, colander, -ate1
Related forms
per·co·la·ble, adjective
per·co·la·tive, adjective
un·per·co·lat·ed, adjective
Pronunciation note
The pronunciation of percolate as [pur-kyuh-leyt] with an intrusive y -glide, results from analogy with words like circulate and matriculate, where the unstressed vowel following the k -sound is symbolized by a u spelling, making the y -glide mandatory. In similar words where [k] is followed by some other vowel, the [y] represents a hypercorrection. The pronunciation of escalate as [es-kyuh-leyt] is another such example. See coupon, new.
The pronunciation of percolate as
[pur-kyuh-leyt] with an intrusive y -glide, results from analogy with words like circulate and matriculate, where the unstressed vowel following the k -sound is symbolized by a u spelling, making the y -glide mandatory. In similar words where [k] is followed by some other vowel, the [y] represents a hypercorrection. The pronunciation of escalate as [es-kyuh-leyt] is another such example. See coupon, new.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To percolate
Collins
World English Dictionary
| percolate | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to cause (a liquid) to pass through a fine mesh, porous substance, etc, or (of a liquid) to pass through a fine mesh, porous substance, etc; trickle: rain percolated through the roof |
| 2. | to permeate; penetrate gradually: water percolated the road |
| 3. | informal (US) (intr) to become active or lively: she percolated with happiness |
| 4. | to make (coffee) or (of coffee) to be made in a percolator |
| —n | |
| 5. | a product of percolation |
| [C17: from Latin percolāre, from | |
| percolable | |
| —adj | |
| perco'lation | |
| —n | |
| 'percolative | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
percolate per·co·late (pûr'kə-lāt')
v. per·co·lat·ed, per·co·lat·ing, per·co·lates
To cause a liquid to pass slowly through a porous substance or small holes; filter.
To drain or seep through.
To cause a solvent liquid to pass through a mixture, such as a powdered drug, so as to extract the soluble portion.
A liquid that has been percolated.
per'co·la'tion n.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Trump's name began to percolate in the news media as a presidential hopeful.
Success took a while to percolate through the system.
His response was that on margin no, it would be better to leave it, and let the news percolate on its own.
But the idea has yet to percolate down into undergraduate programs, though the advantages would be even more pronounced.
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