saturate

American  

[sach-uh-reyt, sach-er-it, -uh-reyt] / ˈsætʃ əˌreɪt, ˈsætʃ ər ɪt, -əˌreɪt /

verb (used with object)

saturates, present (3rd person singular) saturated, past participle, past saturating present participle

1. to cause (a substance) to unite with the greatest possible amount of another substance, through solution, chemical combination, or the like.

2. to charge to the utmost, as with magnetism.

3. to soak, impregnate, or imbue thoroughly or completely.

   to saturate a sponge with water; a town saturated with charm.

4. to destroy (a target) completely with bombs and missiles.

5. to send so many planes over (a target area) that the defensive electronic tracking equipment becomes ineffective.

6. to furnish (a market) with goods to its full purchasing capacity.

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verb (used without object)

saturates, present (3rd person singular) saturated, past participle, past saturating present participle

1. to become saturated.

adjective

1. saturated.

noun

1. a saturated fat or fatty acid.

saturate British  

verb

1. to fill, soak, or imbue totally

2. to make (a chemical compound, vapour, solution, magnetic material, etc) saturated or (of a compound, vapour, etc) to become saturated

3. (tr) military to bomb or shell heavily

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adjective

1. a less common word for saturated

Synonym Usage

See wet.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• saturater
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• saturating
  present
• saturated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• saturate
  simple
• saturates
  simple
• have saturated
  perfect
• has saturated
  perfect
• am saturating
  progressive
• are saturating
  progressive
• is saturating
  progressive
• have been saturating
  perfect progressive
• has been saturating
  perfect progressive

Past

• saturated
  simple
• had saturated
  perfect
• was saturating
  progressive
• were saturating
  progressive
• had been saturating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will saturate
  simple
• will have saturated
  perfect
• will be saturating
  progressive
• will have been saturating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of saturate

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin saturātus (past participle of saturāre “to fill”), equivalent to satur- “full, well-fed” ( see sad) + -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

The verb saturate means to cause something to be fully soaked to the point where it can't take on anything else. A heavy rainstorm can saturate the ground, leaving puddles on the lawn because no more water can be absorbed. The word saturate comes from the Latin word saturatus, meaning "to fill full, sate, drench." Saturate is often used to describe the aftermath of a big rainstorm, but other things can be saturated as well. If you're a workaholic, you might saturate all your free time with work, leaving no time to spend with your family. In chemistry, saturate describes causing one substance, like a solution, to take on the greatest amount of another substance.

Example Sentences

Poly/Ana presents Fall Native Plant Garden Maintenance, a hands-on workshop taught by Max Kanter of Saturate native landscape maintenance, from 9 to 12:30 p.m. in Pasadena.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 29, 2022

Saturate the area to a depth of 8 to 10 inches.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 7, 2022

Saturate a sponge fully with the mixture, squeeze out excess, and wash surfaces.

From Salon • Oct. 28, 2021

Saturate yourself in your subject’s correspondence until you know the name of their neighbour’s dog or the date on which their child’s first tooth fell out.

From The Guardian • Sep. 10, 2016

Saturate the spots with spirits of turpentine, let it remain several hours, then take the cloth and rub it between the hands.

From The New England Cook Book, or Young Housekeeper's Guide Being a Collection of the Most Valuable Receipts; Embracing all the Various Branches of Cookery, and Written in a Minute and Methodical Manner by Anonymous

Related Words

• douse
• imbue
• immerse
• impregnate
• infuse
• penetrate
• permeate
• pervade
• soak
• steep
• suffuse
• wash