saturate

[ verb sach-uh-reyt; adjective, noun sach-er-it, -uh-reyt ]

/ verb ˈsætʃ əˌreɪt; adjective, noun ˈsætʃ ər ɪt, -əˌreɪt /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR saturate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), sat·u·rat·ed, sat·u·rat·ing.

to cause (a substance) to unite with the greatest possible amount of another substance, through solution, chemical combination, or the like.

to charge to the utmost, as with magnetism.

to soak, impregnate, or imbue thoroughly or completely: to saturate a sponge with water; a town saturated with charm.

to destroy (a target) completely with bombs and missiles.

to send so many planes over (a target area) that the defensive electronic tracking equipment becomes ineffective.

to furnish (a market) with goods to its full purchasing capacity.

verb (used without object), sat·u·rat·ed, sat·u·rat·ing.

to become saturated.

adjective

saturated.

noun

a saturated fat or fatty acid.

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Origin of saturate

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin saturātus (past participle of saturāre “to fill”), equivalent to satur- “full, well-fed” (see sad) + -ātus-ate¹

synonym study for saturate

3. See wet.

OTHER WORDS FROM saturate

de·sat·u·rate, verb (used with object), de·sat·u·rat·ed, de·sat·u·rat·ing.o·ver·sat·u·rate, verb (used with object), o·ver·sat·u·rat·ed, o·ver·sat·u·rat·ing.

Words nearby saturate

sattva, sattvic, Satu-Mare, saturable, saturant, saturate, saturated, saturated adiabatic lapse rate, saturated compound, saturated fat, saturated fats

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for saturate

Last week, the San Francisco Bay Area woke up to a saturated-orange sky.
West Coast wildfire smoke is visible from outer space|María Paula Rubiano A.|September 16, 2020|Popular Science
The models then show how different wind speeds and direction push or pull a fire over a given area based on what kind of fuel lives there or how saturated the ground might be.
Environment Report: State Throws Cold Water on Pricing Scheme|MacKenzie Elmer|September 14, 2020|Voice of San Diego
That solution is saturated — the sugar goes into solution with stirring and maybe a little heat.
Rock Candy Science 2: No such thing as too much sugar|Bethany Brookshire|April 30, 2020|Science News For Students
As one Democratic strategist told The Daily Beast, “For a very small investment, you could saturate TV” in South Dakota.
South Dakota's Bizarre Four-Way (Senate Election, That Is)|Ben Jacobs|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Mix it together and let it sit for about ten minutes so the chia seeds can saturate.
Four Fatty (But Healthy!) Power Meals to Fuel Your Day|Ari Meisel|March 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Saturate cinemas with a glut of shoddy franchise flicks, and only a few are going to stick, no matter the star.
Johnny Depp and the ‘Lone Ranger’ Flop: Is His Career Doomed?|Kevin Fallon|July 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Saturate the American public until we forget that anything or anyone else exists or is even an option in 2012.
Sarah Palin's Media Strategy|Meghan McCain|November 22, 2010|DAILY BEAST
To every quart of this bath are added 10 to 15 drops of a saturate of soluble indigo entirely neutral in reaction.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
The above process will so saturate the finger with solution that it may be too wet to print properly.
The Science of Fingerprints|Federal Bureau of Investigation
Saturate dilute sulphuric acid with sesquicarbonate of ammonia, in slight excess; filter, gently evaporate, and crystallise.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
The aim is to saturate the gravel with the hot tar without surplus.
Scientific American, Volume XXIV., No. 12, March 18, 1871|Various
The primary object of all public economy should be to saturate, a civilized country with food.
A Morning's Walk from London to Kew|Richard Phillips

British Dictionary definitions for saturate

saturate

verb (ˈsætʃəˌreɪt)

to fill, soak, or imbue totally

to make (a chemical compound, vapour, solution, magnetic material, etc) saturated or (of a compound, vapour, etc) to become saturated

(tr) military to bomb or shell heavily

adjective (ˈsætʃərɪt, -ˌreɪt)

a less common word for saturated

Derived forms of saturate

saturater or saturator, noun

Word Origin for saturate

C16: from Latin saturāre, from satur sated, from satis enough

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

Medical definitions for saturate

saturate

[ săch′ə-rāt′ ]

v.

To imbue or impregnate thoroughly.

To soak, fill, or load to capacity.

To cause a substance to unite with the greatest possible amount of another substance.

To satisfy all the chemical affinities of a substance; neutralize.

To dissolve a substance up to that concentration beyond which the addition of more results in a second phase.

Other words from saturate

sat′u•ra•ble (săch′ər-ə-bəl) adj.sat′u•ra′tor n.

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WORD OF THE DAY

saturate

verb (used with object), sat·u·rat·ed, sat·u·rat·ing.