saturate

[sach-uh-reyt, sach-er-it, -uh-reyt]

verb (used with object)

saturated, saturating 

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

2. to charge to the utmost, as with magnetism.

3. to soak, impregnate, or imbue thoroughly or completely.

   to saturate a sponge with water; a town saturated with charm.

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

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

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

verb (used without object)

saturated, saturating 

1. to become saturated.

adjective

1. saturated.

noun

1. a saturated fat or fatty acid.

saturate

verb

1. to fill, soak, or imbue totally

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

3. (tr) military to bomb or shell heavily

adjective

1. a less common word for saturated

Other Word Forms

• saturater noun
• desaturate verb (used with object)
• oversaturate verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of saturate¹

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin saturātus (past participle of saturāre “to fill”), equivalent to satur- “full, well-fed” ( sad ) + -ātus -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of saturate¹

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

Synonym Study

See wet.

Example Sentences

Doctors didn’t push statins, which had just become available, to control it, and she consumed lots of saturated fat.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

When the hurricane hit, the RV’s roof started leaking and the ceiling eventually became saturated, along with the walls.

Read more on MarketWatch

Ms. Belluz and Mr. Hall put forward the usual proposals—restrictions on marketing unhealthy food to children, taxes on soda, and warning labels about added sugar, salt and saturated fat.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

For years PepsiCo has gradually reduced the sodium, saturated fat and sugar content in its products.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Then, it must have high amounts of saturated fat, sodium, or added sugar, or contain certain kinds of non-nutritive sweeteners.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• douse 
• imbue 
• immerse 
• impregnate 
• infuse 
• penetrate 
• permeate 
• pervade 
• soak 
• steep 
• suffuse 
• wash