macerate

American  

[mas-uh-reyt] / ˈmæs əˌreɪt /

verb (used with object)

macerated, macerating

1. to soften or separate into parts by steeping in a liquid.

2. to soften or decompose (food) by the action of a solvent.

3. to cause to grow thin.

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verb (used without object)

macerated, macerating

1. to undergo maceration.

2. to become thin or emaciated; waste away.

   Synonyms:

   wither, fade, shrivel, shrink

macerate British  

/ ˈmæsəˌreɪt /

verb

1. to soften or separate or be softened or separated as a result of soaking

2. to break up or cause to break up by soaking

   macerated peaches

3. to become or cause to become thin

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Other Word Forms

• macerater noun
• maceration noun
• macerative adjective
• macerator noun
• unmacerated adjective

Etymology

Origin of macerate

1540–50; < Latin mācerātus (past participle of mācerāre to make soft, weaken, steep); -ate ¹

Example Sentences

She ran in place, holding hands with her stepmother, who kept slipping on the macerated mixture.

From The Wall Street Journal

Once the lemon juice is combined with the macerated peels, water and pickle juice are stirred in before the entire mixture is strained using a fine-mesh strainer.

From Salon

Layer with almond biscotti or ladyfingers, swirl in apricot jam or fresh macerated peaches and finish with a honey drizzle and toasted almonds on top.

From Salon

I also scaled far back on the sugar for the macerated berries, letting the vinegar play a more starring role.

From Salon

To keep the shortcakes from turning soggy, the berries are briefly macerated before baking, which keeps them from weeping into the pastry.

From Seattle Times