Definition of PERCOLATE (original) (raw)
1
a
: to cause (a solvent) to pass through a permeable substance (such as a powdered drug) especially for extracting a soluble constituent
1
: to ooze or trickle through a permeable substance : seep
2
b
: to become lively or effervescent
3
: to spread gradually
allow the sunlight to percolate into our rooms—
Norman Douglas
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.
Synonyms
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rumors had been percolating for days that Gaga was in negotiations to perform at the Grammy Awards. —Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 1 Feb. 2025 The stock wasn’t percolating after the bell, fairly flat. —Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2025 Although corralled by an effective vaccine in the 1990s, the highly contagious virus still percolates at low levels through the country. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2025 Debris flow are a risk after wildfires because the heat of the fire makes the soil repellent to water, which doesn’t percolate as well into the soil and instead can move objects fast downhill. —Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for percolate 
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 12 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 4 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
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