percolate

[ verb pur-kuh-leyt; noun pur-kuh-lit, -leyt ]

verb (used with object)

, per·co·lat·ed, per·co·lat·ing.

1. to cause (a liquid) to pass through a porous body; filter.
2. (of a liquid) to filter through; permeate.
3. to brew (coffee) in a percolator.

verb (used without object)

, per·co·lat·ed, per·co·lat·ing.

1. to pass through a porous substance; filter; ooze; seep; trickle.
2. to become percolated:

   The coffee is starting to percolate.

3. to become active, lively, or spirited.
4. to show activity, movement, or life; grow or spread gradually; germinate:

   Interest in the idea has begun to percolate.

noun

1. a percolated liquid.

percolate

/ ˈpɜːkələbəl /

verb

1. to cause (a liquid) to pass through a fine mesh, porous substance, etc, or (of a liquid) to pass through a fine mesh, porous substance, etc; trickle

   rain percolated through the roof

2. to permeate; penetrate gradually

   water percolated the road

3. informal.
   intr to become active or lively

   she percolated with happiness

4. to make (coffee) or (of coffee) to be made in a percolator

noun

1. a product of percolation

Pronunciation Note

The pronunciation of percolate as [pur, -ky, uh, -leyt], with an intrusive y -glide, results from analogy with words like circulate and matriculate, where the unstressed vowel following the k -sound is symbolized by a u spelling, making the y -glide mandatory. In similar words where [k] is followed by some other vowel, the [y] represents a hypercorrection. The pronunciation of escalate as [es, -ky, uh, -leyt] is another such example. See coupon, new.

Derived Forms

• ˈpercolative, adjective
• ˌpercoˈlation, noun
• percolable, adjective

Other Words From

• perco·la·ble adjective
• perco·lative adjective
• un·perco·lated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of percolate¹

1620–30; < Latin percōlātus, past participle of percōlāre to filter. See per-, colander, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of percolate¹

C17: from Latin percolāre, from per + cōlāre to strain, from cōlum a strainer; see colander

Example Sentences

County’s Hansen Spreading Grounds, where it will flow into basins and percolate into the groundwater aquifer for storage.

From Los Angeles Times

The plan called for reducing the size of three existing golf courses and opening wide corridors where the river and creeks would spread out in the floodplains and water would percolate into the ground.

From Los Angeles Times

Deep-seated landslides can occur weeks or months after heavy rainfall, when water has time to percolate down to weak zones of rock, creating a landslide plane under the weight of the overlying rock and soil, according to the California Geological Survey.

From Los Angeles Times

“That will alleviate a lot of problems instead of having things percolate and blow up in your face.”

From Los Angeles Times

Each year in the art world, lesser-known artists percolate into public consciousness — most obviously at auctions like those that recently concluded in New York, which saw prices exceeding estimates for up-and-comers like Jadé Fadojutimi, Lucy Bull and Michaela Yearwood-Dan.

From New York Times

Related Words

• bubble
• filter
• ooze
• permeate
• pervade