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saturate

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Definition of saturate

verb

Pronunciation: /ˈsatʃəreɪt/

[with object]
  • cause (something) to become thoroughly soaked with water or other liquid so that no more can be absorbed:the soil is saturated
  • cause (a substance) to combine with, dissolve, or hold the greatest possible quantity of another substance:the groundwater is saturated with calcium hydroxide
  • magnetize or charge (a substance or device) fully.
  • Electronics put (a device) into a state in which no further increase in current is achievable.
  • fill (something or someone) with something until no more can be held or absorbed:the air is saturated with the smells of food
  • supply (a market) beyond the point at which the demand for a product is satisfied:Japan’s electronics industry began to saturate the world markets
  • overwhelm (an enemy target area) by concentrated bombing.

noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsatʃərət/

(usually saturates)
  • a saturated fat: as far as the heart is concerned saturates are considered the main enemy

adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈsatʃərət/

literary
  • saturated with moisture.

Derivatives

saturable

Pronunciation: /-rəb(ə)l/

adjective ( technical)

Origin:

late Middle English (as an adjective in the sense 'satisfied'): from Latin saturat- 'filled, glutted', from the verb saturare, from satur 'full'. The early sense of the verb (mid 16th century) was 'satisfy'; the noun dates from the 1950s

saturate in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of saturate in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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