maceration

mac·er·ate  (ms-rt)

v. mac·er·at·ed, mac·er·at·ing, mac·er·ates

v.tr.

1. To make soft by soaking or steeping in a liquid.

2. To separate into constituents by soaking.

3. To cause to become lean, usually by starvation; emaciate.

v.intr.

To become soft or separated into constituents by soaking: "His winemaker allowed the juice and skins of the white grapes to macerate together overnight before pressing" (Gerald Asher).

n. (-t)

A substance prepared or produced by macerating.

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[Latin mcerre, mcert-; see mag- in Indo-European roots.]

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macer·ation n.

macer·ator, macer·ater n.

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maceration

the act or process of softening or separating by soaking or steeping.

See also: Processes

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	maceration - softening due to soaking or steeping softening - the process of becoming softer; "refrigeration delayed the softening of the fruit"; "he observed the softening of iron by heat"
	2.	maceration - extreme leanness (usually caused by starvation or disease) boniness, bonyness, emaciation, gauntness leanness, spareness, thinness - the property of having little body fat