macerate

[mas-uh-reyt] /ˈmæs əˌreɪt/
verb (used with object), macerated, macerating.
1.
to soften or separate into parts by steeping in a liquid.
2.
to soften or decompose (food) by the action of a solvent.
3.
to cause to grow thin.
verb (used without object), macerated, macerating.
4.
to undergo maceration.
5.
to become thin or emaciated; waste away.
Origin
1540-50; < Latin mācerātus (past participle of mācerāre to make soft, weaken, steep); see -ate1
Related forms
macerater, macerator, noun
macerative, adjective
unmacerated, adjective
Synonyms
5. shrink, shrivel, fade, wither.
Examples from the web for macerate
  • Bring it to a boil on top of the stove and then let it sit overnight to macerate.
  • Garlic oil macerate products are made from encapsulated mixtures of whole garlic cloves ground into vegetable oil.
  • Branches are fed into a chute, in which rotating blades macerate the wood.
  • It takes approximately the same amount of time to macerate five pounds of fruit as it does to macerate only one pound.
  • For small amounts of fruit, a kitchen blender can be used to macerate the fruit.
  • The contractor is required to pulp, macerate, or shred the records and certify that they are appropriately destroyed.
British Dictionary definitions for macerate

macerate

/ˈmæsəˌreɪt/
verb
1.
to soften or separate or be softened or separated as a result of soaking
2.
to break up or cause to break up by soaking: macerated peaches
3.
to become or cause to become thin
Derived Forms
macerater, macerator, noun
macerative, adjective
maceration, noun
Word Origin
C16: from Latin mācerāre to soften
Word Origin and History for macerate
v.

late 15c., a back-formation from maceration or else from Latin maceratus, past participle of macerare "soften, make soft, soak, steep," related to maceria "garden wall," originally "of kneaded clay," from PIE *mak-ero-, suffixed form of root *mag- "to knead" (cf. Greek magis "kneaded mass, cake," mageus "one who kneads, baker;" Old Church Slavonic mazo "to anoint, smear;" Breton meza "to knead;" Middle Irish maistir "to churn"), also "to fashion, fit" (cf. make (v.)). Related: Macerated; macerating.

macerate in Medicine

macerate mac·er·ate (mās'ə-rāt')
v. mac·er·at·ed, mac·er·at·ing, mac·er·ates

  1. To make soft by soaking or steeping in a liquid.

  2. To separate into constituents by soaking.

n.
A substance prepared or produced by macerating.