macerate
UK[ˈmæsəreɪt]US[ˈmæsəreɪt]
v
to make something soft by leaving it in a liquid, or to become soft in this way.
v
to cause to grow thin or waste away, especially by fasting.
Morpheme Breakdown
macer
ate
macer
soft
ate
verb suffix
Etymology
the word 'macerate' originates from the latin verb 'macerare', meaning 'to soften, make soft, or weaken'. this latin term is derived from the adjective 'macer', which signifies 'thin, lean, or soft'. the semantic core of softening or wasting away has been preserved through its journey into english. the literal sense of softening by steeping in a liquid evolved from the more general concept of making something physically soft or weak. the modern usage retains both the concrete culinary meaning and the figurative sense of causing to waste away.
Analysis
Structure: macer (soft) + ate (verb suffix)
macer (latin, meaning 'soft, lean'); ate (latin, verb-forming suffix).
Examples
the recipe instructs you to macerate the berries in sugar and brandy for several hours.
prolonged grief can macerate the spirit, leaving one feeling hollow.
in the laboratory, they macerate the tissue sample to separate the cells.