saturation

[ sach-uh-rey-shuh n ]

/ ˌsætʃ əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

the act or process of saturating.

the state of being saturated.

Meteorology. a condition in the atmosphere corresponding to 100 percent relative humidity.

the degree of chroma or purity of a color; the degree of freedom from admixture with white.

Magnetism. the state of maximum magnetization of a ferromagnetic material.

Nearby words

saturated fats, saturated fatty acid, saturated liquid, saturated vapor, saturater, saturation, saturation bombing, saturation diving, saturation index, saturation level, saturation point

Origin of saturation

1545–55; < Late Latin saturātiōn- (stem of saturātiō) a filling, equivalent to saturāt(us) (see saturate) + -iōn- -ion

Related formsde·sat·u·ra·tion, nounnon·sat·u·ra·tion, nouno·ver·sat·u·ra·tion, nounsub·sat·u·ra·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for desaturation (1 of 2)

desaturation

/ (diːˌsætʃəˈreɪʃən) /

noun

physics the addition of white light to a pure colour to produce a paler less saturated colour

British Dictionary definitions for desaturation (2 of 2)

saturation

/ (ˌsætʃəˈreɪʃən) /

noun

the act of saturating or the state of being saturated

chem the state of a chemical compound, solution, or vapour when it is saturated

meteorol the state of the atmosphere when it can hold no more water vapour at its particular temperature and pressure, the relative humidity then being 100 per cent

the attribute of a colour that enables an observer to judge its proportion of pure chromatic colourSee also colour

physics the state of a ferromagnetic material in which it is fully magnetized. The magnetic domains are then all fully aligned

electronics the state of a valve or semiconductor device that is carrying the maximum current of which it is capable and is therefore unresponsive to further increases of input signal

the level beyond which demand for a product or service is not expected to increase

adjective

denoting the maximum possible intensity of coverage of an areasaturation bombing; a saturation release of a film

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for desaturation

saturation

1550s, formed in English from saturate, or else from Late Latin saturationem (nominative saturatio), noun of action from past participle stem of saturare. Saturation bombing is from 1942, first in reference to Allied air raid on Cologne, Germany.

Medicine definitions for desaturation (1 of 2)

desaturation

[ dē-săch′ə-rā′shən ]

n.

Conversion of a saturated compound to an unsaturated compound by the removal of hydrogen.

Medicine definitions for desaturation (2 of 2)

saturation

[ săch′ə-rā′shən ]

n.

The act or process of saturating.

The condition of being saturated.

The condition of being full to or beyond satisfaction; satiety.

Filling of all the available sites on an enzyme molecule by its substrate, or on a hemoglobin molecule by molecular oxygen or carbon monoxide.

In optics, the degree which colors of the same wavelength are differentiated from one another on the basis of purity which correlates with the amount of white present, such as red from pink.

Science definitions for desaturation

saturation

[ săch′ə-rā′shən ]

The state of a physical system, such as a solution, containing as much of another substance, such as a solute, as is possible at a given temperature or pressure.

The vividness of a color's hue. Saturation measures the degree to which a color differs from a gray of the same darkness or lightness. Compare hue value.

The state of being a saturated organic compound. See more at saturated.