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percolator

American  
[pur-kuh-ley-ter] / ˈpɜr kəˌleɪ tər /

noun

  1. a kind of coffeepot in which boiling water in a repeated process is forced up a hollow stem, filters down through ground coffee in a sievelike container, and returns to the pot below.

  2. something that percolates.


percolator British  
/ ˈpɜːkəˌleɪtə /

noun

  1. a kind of coffeepot in which boiling water is forced up through a tube and filters down through the coffee grounds into a container

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of percolator

First recorded in 1835–45; percolate + -or 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He stopped to watch a La Parrilla worker pour a giant jug of Jamaica into a percolator.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2024

These volumes of course vary depending on the maker, but a recent Italian study defined a typical final serving of filter, percolator and cold brews as 120ml.

From Salon • Oct. 27, 2022

If your pipe has a network of small winding tubes inside the main piece, that is a percolator.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 1, 2022

The birds are chirping, a coffee percolator is bubbling, keyboards are clacking, and an Apple startup chime is ringing.

From The Verge • Oct. 26, 2021

There’s a pot with porridge in it, Red River cereal or oatmeal or Cream of Wheat, and a glass coffee percolator.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood