Word of the Day

: May 7, 2012

satiety

noun suh-TYE-uh-tee

What It Means

1 : the quality or state of being fed or gratified to or beyond capacity : surfeit, fullness

2 : the revulsion or disgust caused by overindulgence or excess

satiety in Context

Enjoying his satiety after a hearty meal of roast beef, mashed potatoes, carrots, and gravy, Bill sat down in his recliner for a brief nap.

"Yes, avocado is high in fat, but it's the good, monounsaturated kind that helps increase satiety so you feel full with fewer calories." - From a recipe column by Georgia Downard in Self, June 2011

Did You Know?

You may have guessed that "satiety" is related to "satisfy," "satiate" (meaning "to satisfy fully or to excess"), or "sate" (which means "to glut" or "to satisfy to the full"). If so, you guessed right. "Satiety," along with the others, ultimately comes from the Latin word "satis," which means "enough." English speakers apparently couldn’t get enough of "satis-" derived words in the 15th and 16th centuries, which is when all of these words entered the language. "Satiety" itself was borrowed into English in 1541 from the Middle French word "satieté" of the same meaning.