saturated

[ sach-uh-rey-tid ]

/ ˈsætʃ əˌreɪ tɪd /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR saturated ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

soaked, impregnated, or imbued thoroughly; charged thoroughly or completely; brought to a state of saturation.

(of colors) of maximum chroma or purity; of the highest intensity of hue; free from admixture of white.

Chemistry.

(of a solution) containing the maximum amount of solute capable of being dissolved under given conditions.
(of an organic compound) containing no double or triple bonds; having each single bond attached to an atom or group.
(of an inorganic compound) having no free valence electrons.

Nearby words

Origin of saturated

First recorded in 1660–70; saturate + -ed²

Related formsnon·sat·u·rat·ed, adjectivesub·sat·u·rat·ed, adjective

Definition for saturated (2 of 2)

saturate

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

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

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.

Origin of saturate

1530–40; < Latin saturātus (past participle of saturāre to fill), equivalent to satur- full, well-fed (see sad) + -ātus -ate¹

SYNONYMS FOR saturate

3 See wet.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR saturate ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsde·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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for saturated

All these talented chefs are graduating from these old-guard kitchens and branching out and the market is saturated.
High Rents Are Killing the Restaurant Capital|Will Doig|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At 96 percent water, cukes have no saturated fat or cholesterol, and are very high in vitamin K, vitamin B6 and iron.
10 Ways to Stay Hydrated (That Aren’t Water)|DailyBurn|July 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I pitched the colors, how saturated it was going to be—a living comic book is the way I wanted to do it.
Vampires without Glitter or Girl Problems: Inside Guillermo del Toro’s ‘The Strain’|Andrew Romano|July 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On the way down into Spain the road several times broke from tree cover in valleys that were a sea of saturated emerald.
Is This Hemingway’s Pamplona or a Lot of Bull?|Clive Irving|July 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

In fact, the correction of the Cambridge study had to do with polyunsaturated fats—not saturated fats.
The AHA’s Absurd Saturated Fat Obsession|Dr. Barbara H. Roberts|June 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Gene's skin crawled and prickled with the energies that saturated the room.
The Hell Ship|Raymond Alfred Palmer
They may sometimes be removed by the application of a saturated solution of alum.
The Barnet Book of Photography|Various
(after directions to take one drachm of aceto-nitrate of silver), of the words "one drachm of saturated solution of gallic acid."
Notes and Queries, Number 168, January 15, 1853|Various
My clothes were saturated with the chilling rain, and my face and hands bedabbled with mud and dirt.
Bill Biddon, Trapper|Edward S. Ellis
Make a saturated solution of hypo and dilute it with an equal bulk of water.
Photography in the Studio and in the Field|Edward M. Estabrooke

British Dictionary definitions for saturated (1 of 2)

saturated

/ (ˈsætʃəˌreɪtɪd) /

adjective

(of a solution or solvent) containing the maximum amount of solute that can normally be dissolved at a given temperature and pressureSee also supersaturated

(of a colour) having a large degree of saturation

(of a chemical compound)

containing no multiple bonds and thus being incapable of undergoing additional reactionsa saturated hydrocarbon
containing no unpaired valence electrons

(of a fat, esp an animal fat) containing a high proportion of fatty acids having single bondsSee also polyunsaturated, unsaturated

(of a vapour) containing the equilibrium amount of gaseous material at a given temperature and pressureSee also supersaturated

(of a magnetic material) fully magnetized

extremely wet; soaked

British Dictionary definitions for saturated (2 of 2)

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 Formssaturater 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

Word Origin and History for saturated

saturate

1530s, "to satisfy, satiate," from Latin saturatus, past participle of saturare "to fill full, sate, drench," from satur "sated, full," from PIE root *sa- "to satisfy" (see sad). Meaning "soak thoroughly" first recorded 1756. Marketing sense first recorded 1958. Related: Saturated; saturating.

Medicine definitions for saturated (1 of 2)

saturated

[ săch′ə-rā′tĭd ]

adj.

Unable to hold or contain more; full.

Soaked with moisture; drenched.

Combined with or containing all the solute that can normally be dissolved at a given temperature.

Having all available valence bonds filled. Used especially of organic compounds.

Medicine definitions for saturated (2 of 2)

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.

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

Science definitions for saturated

saturated

[ săch′ə-rā′tĭd ]

Relating to an organic compound in which all the carbon atoms are joined by single bonds and therefore cannot be combined with any additional atoms or radicals. Propane and cyclopentane are examples of saturated hydrocarbons. Compare unsaturated.

Relating to a solution that is unable to dissolve more of a solute.

Containing as much water vapor as is possible at a given temperature. Air that is saturated has a relative humidity of 100 percent.

saturated

adjective

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of saturated

Definition for saturated (2 of 2)

saturate

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

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

adjective

noun

Origin of saturate

Examples from the Web for saturated

British Dictionary definitions for saturated (1 of 2)

saturated

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for saturated (2 of 2)

saturate

verb (ˈsætʃəˌreɪt)

adjective (ˈsætʃərɪt, -ˌreɪt)

Word Origin for saturate

Word Origin and History for saturated

saturate

Medicine definitions for saturated (1 of 2)

saturated

adj.

Medicine definitions for saturated (2 of 2)

saturate

v.

Science definitions for saturated

saturated