percolate

verb per·co·late \ ˈpər-kə-ˌlāt , nonstandard -kyə- \

Updated on: 21 May 2018

Definition of percolate

percolated; percolating

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 rooms
—Norman Douglas

4 : simmer 2a

the feud had been percolating for a long time

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percolation

play \ˌpər-kə-ˈlā-shən\ noun

See percolate defined for English-language learners

See percolate defined for kids

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 of percolate from the Web

Though Bound officially began in 2016, the concept had been percolating in Rex’s brain since 2012.

— rachel hahn, Vogue, "See the Boundary-Pushing BDSM Fashion at Bound, a Queer Fetish Techno Party in Brooklyn," 16 May 2018
Questions about Greitens’ use of social media have been percolating for the last year.

— tessa weinberg, kansascity, "AG Josh Hawley is investigating Greitens again. Will the outcome be any different? | The Kansas City Star," 9 May 2018
From the Island to the World began about three years ago when the Obama administration opening to Cuba was in full swing, but the idea had been percolating for about 20 years, said Adams.

— mimi whitefield, miamiherald, "Politics collide with art as Kennedy Center prepares for Cuban culture festival," 4 May 2018
Like a boxer, the Pittsburgh Penguins took the Flyers’ best punches in the opening period Sunday at the then-percolating Wells Fargo Center.

— sam carchidi, Philly.com, "Flyers' early push wasn't enough to top Penguins in NHL playoffs," 15 Apr. 2018
Many in the crowd danced for a good number of the songs, encouraged by the insistent rhythms and bassist Wooten’s percolating lines.

— george varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, "David Byrne performs transcendent San Diego concert before heading to his Coachella performance," 13 Apr. 2018
Proposals to remove the dams have percolated in the Northwest for decades, and have devolved into a largely partisan issue with Democrats generally on the side of fish and Republicans for keeping the dams.

— nicholas k. geranios, The Seattle Times, "U.S. House OKs bill reversing order to help salmon in Washington state," 25 Apr. 2018
Chatter is percolating throughout the Capitol that Pelosi may attempt a cunning departure in an attempt to bolster Democrats in their quest for the House and simultaneously hose Republicans.

— chad pergram, Fox News, "Some Democrats want Pelosi out now, win or lose House in midterms," 17 Mar. 2018
Historically, paradigm-shifting ideas must percolate for a while before they’re embraced by campaigns.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Third Way makes an opening bid in the 2020 ‘ideas primary’," 15 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'percolate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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.

Origin and Etymology of percolate

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1626

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

percolate Synonyms

PERCOLATE Defined for English Language Learners

percolate

verb

Definition of percolate for English Language Learners

: to pass slowly through something that has many small holes in it
: to spread slowly
: to make (coffee) in a special pot (called a percolator)

PERCOLATE Defined for Kids

percolate

verb per·co·late \ ˈpər-kə-ˌlāt \

Definition of percolate for Students

percolated; percolating

1 : to trickle or cause to trickle through something porous : ooze

Water percolated through sand.

2 : to prepare (coffee) by passing hot water through ground coffee beans again and again

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percolation

\ˌpər-kə-ˈlā-shən\ noun

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percolator

\-ˌlā-tər\ noun

Medical Dictionary

percolate

verb per·co·late \ ˈpər-kə-ˌlāt \

medical Definition of percolate

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

noun per·co·late \ -ˌlāt , -lət \

medical Definition of percolate

: a product of percolation

Learn More about percolate

See words that rhyme with percolate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for percolate Spanish Central: Translation of percolate Nglish: Translation of percolate for Spanish speakers

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percolate

Definition of percolate

percolation

Examples of percolate in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of percolate

percolate Synonyms

Synonyms

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PERCOLATE Defined for English Language Learners

percolate

Definition of percolate for English Language Learners

PERCOLATE Defined for Kids

percolate

Definition of percolate for Students

percolation

percolator

Medical Dictionary

percolate

medical Definition of percolate

percolate

medical Definition of percolate

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