percolate
verb
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.
Examples of percolate in a Sentence
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 20 May 2024
Every theory imaginable is percolating on the internet about why this happened.
—Sam Faddis, Baltimore Sun, 10 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for percolate 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'percolate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near percolate
Cite this Entry
“Percolate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/percolate. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
percolate
verb
Medical Definition
percolate
1 of 2 verb
Share