percolator

[ pur-kuh-ley-ter ]

/ ˈpɜr kəˌleɪ tər /

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noun

a kind of coffeepot in which boiling water in a repeated process is forced up a hollow stem, filters down through ground coffee in a sievelike container, and returns to the pot below.

something that percolates.

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Origin of percolator

First recorded in 1835–45; percolate + -or²

Words nearby percolator

Percocet, Percodan, percoid, percolate, percolation, percolator, per contra, per curiam, percurrent, percuss, percussion

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use percolator in a sentence

What is the difference, as regards rail carriage, between a percolator and an everyday coffee pot?
Railroads: Rates and Regulations|William Z. Ripley
"Don't let's settle down yet," Nannie said, standing beside the percolator like a young priestess beside an altar.
The Gay Cockade|Temple Bailey
Macerate the drugs with alcohol and water, and after a few days transfer to percolator.
Secrets of Wise Men, Chemists and Great Physicians|William K. David
The servants declare that the wife invariably made the after-dinner coffee in a percolator that stood on the sideboard.
The Substitute Prisoner|Max Marcin

To filter, using the percolator, the coffee should be quite fine.
Mrs. Wilson's Cook Book|Mary A. Wilson

British Dictionary definitions for percolator

percolator

/ (ˈpɜːkəˌleɪtə) /

noun

a kind of coffeepot in which boiling water is forced up through a tube and filters down through the coffee grounds into a container

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