macerate
http://wordsmith.org/words/macerate.html
PRONUNCIATION:
(MAS-uh-rayt)
MEANING:
verb tr., intr.:
1. To soften by soaking or steeping in a liquid.
2. To separate into parts by soaking.
3. To weaken or to become thin; to emaciate.
ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin macerare (to make soft, weaken). Ultimately from the Indo-European root mag-/mak- (to knead, to fit) that is also the source of make, mason, mass, match, among, mongrel, mingle, and maquillage.
USAGE:
"The plastic rubbish has been macerated by marine forces and is composed of small particles that float just below the surface, killing fish that mistake it for food."
John Maxwell; Boojum Hunting in the Caribbean; Jamaica Observer (Kingston); Jan 24, 2010.
PRONUNCIATION:
(MAS-uh-rayt)
MEANING:
verb tr., intr.:
1. To soften by soaking or steeping in a liquid.
2. To separate into parts by soaking.
3. To weaken or to become thin; to emaciate.
ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin macerare (to make soft, weaken). Ultimately from the Indo-European root mag-/mak- (to knead, to fit) that is also the source of make, mason, mass, match, among, mongrel, mingle, and maquillage.
USAGE:
"The plastic rubbish has been macerated by marine forces and is composed of small particles that float just below the surface, killing fish that mistake it for food."
John Maxwell; Boojum Hunting in the Caribbean; Jamaica Observer (Kingston); Jan 24, 2010.