supersaturate

S1U1P3E1R1S1A1T1U1R1A1T1E1

verb

To cause a solution to have more solute dissolved in it than it can stably contain at current conditions.

“In science class the teacher prepared a supersaturated solution by cooling a saturated solution. He then added a small seed crystal and a large precipitate formed in just a second.”

OriginEnglish saturate ← Latin super- ← Proto-Italic *super →
Scrabble 15
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Meanings

verbsupersaturate (third-person singular simple present supersaturates, present participle supersaturating, simple past and past participle supersaturated)

present singular third person supersaturates · participle present supersaturating · participle past supersaturated · past supersaturated

  1. To cause a solution to have more solute dissolved in it than it can stably contain at current conditions.

    In science class the teacher prepared a supersaturated solution by cooling a saturated solution. He then added a small seed crystal and a large precipitate formed in just a second.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úp
  2. Proto-Indo-European*upér
  3. Proto-Italic*super
  4. Latinsuper
  5. Latinsuper-
  6. Englishsuper-
  7. Englishsaturate
  8. Englishsupersaturate

From super- + saturate.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian пресищам
  • пресищам (presištam)Translations
Finnish ylikyllästää
  • ylikyllästääTranslations
Italian sovrasaturare, soprassaturare
  • sovrasaturareTranslations
  • soprassaturareTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

supersaturate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/supersaturate

MLA

“supersaturate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/supersaturate. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “supersaturate,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/supersaturate.

Source: supersaturate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.