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Added 10 October 2026

macerate

/ˈmæs.ə.ɹeɪt/ verb

In Latin: mācerō First recorded: 1534 Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about macerate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To soften (something) or separate it into pieces by (or as if by) soaking it in a heated or unheated liquid.
To reduce solids to small pieces (in a macerator).
To make lean; to cause to waste away.

noun

A macerated substance.

Origin

First attested in 1534; borrowed from Latin mācerātus, perfect passive participle of mācerō (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3)), from Proto-Indo-European *mag-, *mak- (“to knead”), whence make. Cognate with French macérer.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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