Etymology

macerate

M3A1C3E1R1A1T1E1

Today it means: To soften (something) or separate it into pieces by (or as if by) soaking it in a heated or unheated liquid. Full definition →

First used 1541–1632Latin mācerātus ← Proto-Indo-European *mag-
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*mag-
  2. Latin · borrowed frommācerātus
  3. English todaymacerate

First attested in 1534; borrowed from Latin mācerātus, perfect passive participle of mācerō (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3)), from Proto-Indo-European *mag-, *mak- (“to knead”), whence make. Cognate with French macérer.

Words from the same roots

Proto-Indo-European*mag- all →

matchmackly

First known use, by meaning

  • 1541–1632 past participle of macerate
  • from 1941 A macerated substance.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.