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Added 9 October 2026

saturate

/ˈsatjʊɹeɪt/ verb

Latin root: saturātus First recorded: 1538 Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about saturate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Cause (a chemical compound, vapour, solution, magnetic material) to unite with the greatest possible amount of another substance.
Infuse or fill completely.
Impregnate the cloth with alcohol

Origin

The adjective is first attested in the second part of the 15ᵗʰ century, in Middle English, the verb in 1538, the noun in 1921; inherited from Middle English saturat(e) (“satiated, satisfied”), borrowed from Latin saturātus, perfect passive participle of saturō (“to fill, satisfy, quench”) (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3)), from satur (“full”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix).

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

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