percolate

per·co·late

Use percolate in a sentence

Coffee percolating on the stove.

verb

To percolate is to gradually spread or filter through.

An example of percolate is when water gradually spreads and filters through soil.
An example of percolate is when an idea gradually spreads and becomes more well known.
When you make coffee in a special coffee maker called a percolator, this is an example of percolate.

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MLA Style

"percolate." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 06 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/PERCOLATE>.

APA Style

percolate. (n.d.). Retrieved March 06th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/PERCOLATE

percolate

transitive verb

-·lat·ed, -·lat·ing

to pass (a liquid) gradually through small spaces or a porous substance; filter
to drain or ooze through (a porous substance); permeate
to brew (coffee) in a percolator

Origin of percolate

from Classical Latin percolatus, past participle of percolare, to strain from per, through + colare, to strain: see colander

1. to pass or ooze through a porous substance
2. to spread throughout; permeate
to become active or lively; start bubbling up, as coffee in a percolator

a liquid produced by percolating

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Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"percolate." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 06 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/PERCOLATE>.

APA Style

percolate. (n.d.). Retrieved March 06th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/PERCOLATE

percolate

verb

per·co·lat·ed, per·co·lat·ing, per·co·lates

verb

transitive

To cause (liquid, for example) to pass through a porous substance or small holes; filter.
To pass or ooze through: Water percolated the sand.
To make (coffee) in a percolator.

verb

intransitive

To drain or seep through a porous material or filter.
Informal To become lively or active.
Informal To spread slowly or gradually.

noun

A liquid that has been percolated.

Origin of percolate

Latin percōlāre percōlāt- per- per- cōlāre to filter ( from cōlum sieve )

Related Forms:

per′co·la′tion
noun

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"percolate." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 06 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/PERCOLATE>.

APA Style

percolate. (n.d.). Retrieved March 06th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/PERCOLATE

Verb

(third-person singular simple present percolates, present participle percolating, simple past and past participle percolated)

To pass a liquid through a porous substance; to filter.
(intransitive) To drain or seep through a porous substance.
Water percolates through sand.
To make (coffee) in a percolator.
I'll percolate some coffee.
(intransitive, figuratively) To spread slowly or gradually; to slowly become noticed or realised.
Reports on the pitiful state of many prisons have finally percolated through to the Home Office, which has promised to look into the situation.
Through media reports it percolated to the surface that the police investigation was profoundly flawed.