percolate

verb

per·​co·​late ˈpər-kə-ˌlāt How to pronounce percolate (audio)
nonstandard
-kyə- How to pronounce percolate (audio)
percolated; percolating

transitive verb

1
a
: to cause (a solvent) to pass through a permeable substance (such as a powdered drug) especially for extracting a soluble constituent
b
: to prepare (coffee) in a percolator
2
: to be diffused through : penetrate

intransitive verb

1
: to ooze or trickle through a permeable substance : seep
2
a
: to become percolated
b
: to become lively or effervescent
3
: to spread gradually
allow the sunlight to percolate into our roomsNorman Douglas
4
: simmer sense 2a
the feud had been percolating for a long time
percolation noun

Did you know?

Percolate comes from a Latin verb meaning "to put through a sieve". Something that percolates filters through something else, just as small particles pass through a sieve. Water is drawn downward through the soil, and this percolation usually cleans the water. A slow rain is ideal for percolating into the soil, since in a violent rainstorm most of it quickly runs off. For this reason, drip irrigation is the most effective and water-conserving form of irrigation. Percolation isn't always a physical process; awareness of an issue may percolate slowly into the minds of the public, just as Spanish words may gradually percolate into English, often starting in the Southwest.

Examples of percolate in a Sentence

Sunlight percolated down through the trees. Rumors percolated throughout the town. There is nothing like percolating coffee over an open campfire. Coffee was percolating on the stove.
Recent Examples on the Web There’s a lot of big stuff percolating right now in the world of Mac Saturn. Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 21 Jan. 2024 Among the one-liners percolating on message boards: Will UCLA have enough players left to field a team? Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2023 As the conversational, carefree track started to percolate in the United States and gain traction on rhythmic radio, Mavin began to feel the song’s potential to scale even greater heights, with international interest from DJs asking to put their own spin on it. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 30 Nov. 2023 But their contents are decidedly out of place atop the asphalt: tanks of percolating seawater, within which leafy green and brown seaweed, or macroalgae, appear to dance as bubbles churn the water. Saima May Sidik, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2024 Or is this actually good for the game, keeping free agency percolating in the news until spring training games begin in late February, or even until St. Patrick’s Day? Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2024 Add places for water to pool and percolate into your garden’s soil: a dry streambed, swale or simple depression filled with mulch. Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2024 Ditto the flashbacks to her middle-class family back in the West African country, who can afford to hire armed security guards while intimations of civil war percolate around them. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Feb. 2024 As diverse viewpoints are shared, the strongest, most applicable ideas percolate to the center of discussion and, with the guidance of skilled leaders, move toward actionable agendas. Tom Wellner, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'percolate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin percolatus, past participle of percolare, from per- through + colare to sieve — more at per-, colander

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of percolate was in 1626

Dictionary Entries Near percolate

Cite this Entry

“Percolate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/percolate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

percolate

verb
per·​co·​late ˈpər-kə-ˌlāt How to pronounce percolate (audio)
percolated; percolating
1
: to trickle or cause to trickle through something porous : filter, seep
water percolating through sand
2
: to prepare coffee in a percolator
3
: to be or become spread through : penetrate

Medical Definition

percolate

1 of 2 verb
per·​co·​late ˈpər-kə-ˌlāt How to pronounce percolate (audio)
percolated; percolating

transitive verb

1
: to cause (a solvent) to pass through a permeable substance (as a powdered drug) especially for extracting a soluble constituent
2
: to be diffused through

intransitive verb

1
: to ooze or trickle through a permeable substance
2
: to become percolated

percolate

2 of 2 noun
per·​co·​late -ˌlāt How to pronounce percolate (audio) -lət How to pronounce percolate (audio)
: a product of percolation

More from Merriam-Webster on percolate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!