Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

percolation

 - 4 dictionary results

per⋅co⋅la⋅tion

  [pur-kuh-ley-shuhn]
Use percolation in a Sentence
–noun
1. the act or state of percolating or of being percolated.
2. Pharmacology. the extraction of the soluble principles of a crude drug by the passage of a suitable liquid through it.
3. Geology. the slow movement of water through the pores in soil or permeable rock.
Origin:
1605–15; < L percōlātiōn- (s. of percōlātiō). See percolate, -ion
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To percolation
per·co·late   (pûr'kə-lāt')   
v.   per·co·lat·ed, per·co·lat·ing, per·co·lates

v.   tr.

  1. To cause (liquid, for example) to pass through a porous substance or small holes; filter.

  2. To pass or ooze through: Water percolated the sand.

  3. To make (coffee) in a percolator.

v.   intr.

  1. To drain or seep through a porous material or filter.

  2. Informal To become lively or active.

  3. Informal To spread slowly or gradually.

n.   (-lĭt, -lāt')
A liquid that has been percolated.

[Latin percōlāre, percōlāt- : per-, per- + cōlāre, to filter (from cōlum, sieve).]
per'co·la'tion n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

percolation 
1613, from L. percolationem (nom. percolatio), noun of action from percolare "to strain through, filter," from per- "through" + colare "to strain," from colum "a strainer," of unknown origin.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: per·co·la·tion
Pronunciation: "p&r-k&-'lA-sh&n
Function: noun
1 : the slow passage of a liquid through afiltering medium
2 : a method of extraction or purification by means of filtration
3 : the process of extracting the soluble constituents of a powdered drug bypassage of a liquid through it
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see percolation on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way