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Today's Word "Percolate"

To seep downward through a granular substance or material on

Published in Vocabulary

percolate \PEHR-keh-leyt\ (verb) - To seep downward through a granular substance or material, as rainwater percolates through the soil.

"Rumors percolating from the president's office have it that we are in for a shake-up at the top."

 

Today's word is an adopted daughter from the Latin verb "percolare," derived from per- "through" + colare "to strain, filter." "Colare" comes from colum "a strainer," the same root that gave us "colander" via Old Provencal colador "strainer." It is related to Breton kae "fence," German Hecke "hedgerow," and Hag "witch." In English it became the "haw" of "hawthorn." The advent of the coffee percolator was almost the downfall of today's word. Because the bubbling coffee in the glass knob on the lid of the percolator attracted so much attention, it was easy to think that the verb "percolate" means to bubble upwards. The name "percolator" came from the fact that the hot water filtered down through the coffee grounds once it reached the top. Now that we make coffee by different means, let us give this verb back its meaning.


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