macerate
verb
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Macerate is derived from the Latin verb macerare, which means "to soften" or "to steep," and, in Late Latin, can also mean "to mortify (the flesh)." Macerate first entered English in the mid-1500s to refer both to the wasting away of flesh especially by fasting and to softening or steeping. A few other manifestations sprouted thereafter from the word's figurative branch (e.g., the 18th-century novelist Laurence Sterne once wrote of "a city so macerated with expectation"); however, those extensions wilted in time. Today, the "steeping" and "soaking" senses of macerate saturate culinary articles (as in "macerating fruit in liquor") as well as other writings (scientific ones, for instance: "the food is macerated in the gizzard" or "the wood is macerated in the solution").
Examples of macerate in a Sentence
Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 12 Apr. 2025
The distillation involves macerating the botanicals and distilling them in small batches, ensuring the quality and consistency of each bottle.
—Rachel King, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
Brunello di Montalcino Tuscany Italy Made from grapes sourced from vineyards in Montalcino that have northwest and southwest sun exposure and soils comprising jasper and shale, this 100 percent Sangiovese is fermented and macerated for at least 20 days after harvest.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2025
Winemaker Carlo Ferrini’s blend is of 50% Cab, 40% Merlot and 10% Carménère, fermented in cement tanks, macerated for 15 to 18 days then aged in Slovenian and French barrels for six months, softening the wine.
—John Mariani, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for macerate
Cite this Entry
“Macerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/macerate. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
macerate
1 of 2 verb
macerate
2 of 2 noun
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