maceration

American  

[mas-uh-rey-shuhn] / ˌmæs əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of macerating.

2. a process in winemaking in which the crushed grape skins are left in the juice until they have imparted the desired color or the proper amount of tannins and aroma.

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Other Word Forms

• self-maceration
  noun

Etymology

Origin of maceration

1485–95; < Latin mācerātiōn-, stem of mācerātiō; see macerate, -ion

Example Sentences

The residues are sorted, ground and mixed with a maceration of gum arabic to facilitate ignition, and with clay to slow combustion.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

He described how there was a reddening of the skin around Noah's forehead as well as "extensive maceration and peeling" of his hands and feet.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

His 2018 Pinot Gris Carbonic Maceration marks a clear-cut example of one of the few times it's worthwhile to say "carbonic maceration" in front of a stranger.

From Salon • Jan. 23, 2022

This enormous and authoritative work of scholarship, nearly a decade in the making, covers nearly every aspect of its subject matter, from absinthe spoons to maceration to the Zombie.

From New York Times • Dec. 23, 2021

The leaves are a mass of fibre, of great strength, which admits of preparation either by boiling or maceration, no perceptible difference as to quality or colour being apparent after heckling.

From Austral English A dictionary of Australasian words, phrases and usages with those aboriginal-Australian and Maori words which have become incorporated in the language, and the commoner scientific words that have had their origin in Australasia by Morris, Edward Ellis