saturate
UK[ˈsætʃəreɪt]US[ˈsætʃəreɪt]
v
to make something completely wet
v
to cause something to absorb or hold as much of a substance as possible
Morpheme Breakdown
satur
ate
satur
full
ate
verb suffix
Etymology
the word 'saturate' originates from the latin verb 'saturare', which means 'to fill, to sate'. this verb itself is derived from the latin adjective 'satur', translating to 'full'. the core concept has always been one of filling something to its utmost capacity. over time, the meaning evolved from the general idea of filling with food (satiety) to the more specific scientific and general sense of thoroughly soaking a material with a liquid or another substance until it can hold no more.
Analysis
Structure: satur (full) + ate (verb suffix)
satur is from latin 'satur' meaning full, sated. ate is a verb-forming suffix from latin '-atus', indicating an action or process.
Examples
heavy rain began to saturate the dry soil.
the market was saturated with similar products, making it hard for new ones to succeed.
to make the solution, saturate the water with salt.