Sunday, February 1, 2009

Percolate

Percolate is defined by the AHD as:

1. To cause (liquid, for example) to pass through a porous substance or small holes; filter
2. To pass or ooze through
3. To make (coffee) in a percolator
It has also come to be used informally to mean "to become lively or active". It comes from the Latin word percolare, which is formed from the suffix per meaning "through" and from colare meaning "to filter", so the word remains very close to it's original roots without a large shift in meaning. As a coffee addict, this is a well-loved word for me.

-American Heritage Dictionary

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