MACERATE


Meaning of MACERATE in English

I. ˈmasəˌrāt, usu -ād.+V verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

Etymology: Latin maceratus, past participle of macerare to soften, from macer soft, weak — more at meager

transitive verb

1. : to cause (the body or its flesh) to waste away by or as if by excessive fasting

2.

a. : to cause (solid matter) to become soft or separated into constituent elements by steeping in fluid

flax macerated in water

fibrous food macerating in the cow's rumen

b. : to cause (a solid object) to soften and fray as if long soaked in water

a mallet with ends macerated by pounding

intransitive verb

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

II. ˈmasərə̇t noun

( -s )

: a product of macerating : something prepared by maceration

examining the chromosomes in a liver macerate

— compare homogenate

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.