percolator

American  

[pur-kuh-ley-ter] / ˈpɜr kəˌleɪ tər /

noun

1. 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.

2. something that percolates.

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percolator British  

/ ˈpɜːkəˌleɪtə /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of percolator

First recorded in 1835–45; percolate + -or ²

Example Sentences

He stopped to watch a La Parrilla worker pour a giant jug of Jamaica into a percolator.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2024

If your pipe has a network of small winding tubes inside the main piece, that is a percolator.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 1, 2022

During the rehearsal, as coffee bubbled in a percolator, everyone tried to inhabit the characters, old and new, even when the characters voiced opinions that diverged from the actors’ own.

From New York Times • Sep. 29, 2021

We may not be renowned, but Minneapolis’s history as a percolator of brilliance runs deep.

From Salon • May 8, 2019

Miss Celia goes to the coffee percolator, pours two cups, but then stops.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett