macerate

verb

mac·​er·​ate ˈma-sə-ˌrāt 

macerated; macerating

transitive verb

1

: to cause to waste away by or as if by excessive fasting

2

: to cause to become soft or separated into constituent elements by or as if by steeping in fluid

broadly : steep, soak

intransitive verb

: to soften and wear away especially as a result of being wetted or steeped

maceration

ˌma-sə-ˈrā-shən 

noun

macerator

ˈma-sə-ˌrā-tər 

noun

Did you know?

Macerate is derived from the Latin verb macerare, which means "to soften" or "to steep," and, in Late Latin, can also mean "to mortify (the flesh)." Macerate first entered English in the mid-1500s to refer both to the wasting away of flesh especially by fasting and to softening or steeping. A few other manifestations sprouted thereafter from the word's figurative branch (e.g., the 18th-century novelist Laurence Sterne once wrote of "a city so macerated with expectation"); however, those extensions wilted in time. Today, the "steeping" and "soaking" senses of macerate saturate culinary articles (as in "macerating fruit in liquor") as well as other writings (scientific ones, for instance: "the food is macerated in the gizzard" or "the wood is macerated in the solution").

Synonyms

• drench
• drown
• impregnate
• saturate
• soak
• sodden
• sop
• souse
• steep

Examples of macerate in a Sentence

garnished with cherries that had been macerated in liqueur

Recent Examples on the Web

The distillation involves macerating the botanicals and distilling them in small batches, ensuring the quality and consistency of each bottle. —Rachel King, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024

Set aside and allow to macerate at room temperature. —Amanda M. Faison, Outside Online, 22 Sep. 2024

That included using demerara sugar to make syrups out of rinds, macerating leftover bits for cordials, and clarifying juices to extend shelf lives. —Jordyn Noennig, Journal Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2024

It’s produced at a new distillery which opened in Portland, Oregon in 2022, where a botanical blend of cardamom, French lavender, anise seed, sarsaparilla, orange peel, and of course juniper is macerated in neutral grain spirit for 18 hours before distillation. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin maceratus, past participle of macerare to soften, steep

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

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Medical Definition

macerate

1 of 2 verb

mac·​er·​ate ˈmas-ə-ˌrāt 

macerated; macerating

transitive verb

: to soften (as tissue) by steeping or soaking so as to separate into constituent elements

intransitive verb

: to undergo maceration

allow the drug to macerate in hot water for one hour

macerate

2 of 2 noun

mac·​er·​ate ˈmas-ə-rət 

: a product of macerating : something prepared by maceration

examining the chromosomes in a liver macerate

compare homogenate