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per·co·late

(pûrkə-lāt′)

v. per·co·lat·ed, per·co·lat·ing, per·co·lates

v.tr.

1. To cause (liquid, for example) to pass through a porous substance or small holes; filter.

2. To pass or ooze through: Water percolated the sand.

3. To make (coffee) in a percolator.

v.intr.

1. To drain or seep through a porous material or filter.

2. Informal To become lively or active.

3. Informal To spread slowly or gradually.

n. (-lĭt, -lāt′)

A liquid that has been percolated.

[Latin percōlāre, percōlāt- : per-, per- + cōlāre, to filter (from cōlum, sieve).]

per′co·lation n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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