Percolate
/ˈpɜːr.kə.leɪt/noun
To filter gradually through a porous material or to spread slowly through something.
Did you know?Percolate ultimately comes from Latin percolare, used for straining liquids through a filter, and its core root is the same one behind English words about sacred filtering and selection.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kel-
“to cover, conceal; also to strain or sieve in later developments”
Latin
Latin
percolāre
“to strain through, filter, or percolate”
Late Latin
Latin
percolātus
“strained through, filtered”
16th Century
English
percolaten
“to filter liquid through a porous substance”
Modern English
English
percolate
“to pass gradually through a material or to spread slowly and widely”