What does macerate mean?
To macerate is to soak or otherwise break down a substance until it becomes softer or separates into smaller components. The word occurs in cooking, where ingredients may be macerated in oil, wine, or another liquid; in botany and laboratory work, where plant material is softened for analysis; and in medicine, where tissue is described as macerating. Macerate can also have a figurative meaning: something may be said to macerate gradually when prolonged strain, conflict, or neglect weakens it. Although the verb can sound clinical or literary in ordinary conversation, it is precise and useful when the process involved is more than simple immersion because the material is also softened, fragmented, or dissolved. Its meaning always includes a gradual breakdown rather than a sudden change, and it is related to the Latin macer, meaning “soft.”
verbTo soften by soaking in liquid, or to break something down into small pieces by soaking or crushing. The term is also used figuratively for the gradual weakening or dissolution of a person, organization, or thing.
- To soften something by soaking it in liquid.
- To break something down into smaller pieces, especially by soaking or crushing.
- To cause the gradual weakening or dissolution of a person, organization, or institution.
"The seeds were macerated in warm water overnight to soften their shells."
"The botanist macerated the leaves in alcohol to separate their cellular material."
"Years of internal conflict gradually macerated the organization."
From the Latin macer, meaning “soft,” macerate began with a simple promise: make something soft.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of macerate
The English verb comes from the Latin macerare, meaning “to make soft” or “to soak,” from macer, “soft.” It entered English through Latin and French usage during the early modern period. The same root underlies words such as maceration and emacerate, reflecting the long-established association between the term and softening or wasting away.
Related word forms
How macerate is actually used
The verb is common in culinary, botanical, and medical contexts. Its figurative use is formal and often implies a slow process of weakening or disintegration.
Easily confused with macerate
To macerate is primarily to soak, soften, or break material down in liquid, whereas to masticate is to chew food thoroughly.