MEANING
To soften and break down tissue or other material through prolonged soaking.
Use it for
Waterlogged bodies; skin damaged beneath wet coverings; loss of tissue integrityGive deterioration a plausible mechanism rather than treating water as instantly corrosive.
Words that belong together
- macerated skin
- macerate tissue
- prolonged maceration
On the page
Days in the flooded shaft had macerated the skin.
The wet dressing began to macerate the wound's edges.
She lifted the specimen carefully; its tissues had macerated in the leaking container.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- macerate / macerates
- Past tense
- macerated
- Past participle
- macerated
- Present participle
- macerating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- macerate / macerates
- Present continuous
- am/is/are macerating
- Present perfect
- have/has macerated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been macerating
- Past
- macerated
- Past continuous
- was/were macerating
- Past perfect
- had macerated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been macerating
- Future
- will macerate / macerates
- Future continuous
- will be macerating
- Future perfect
- will have macerated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been macerating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Explore related collections
Usage notes
Primary category: horror. Moisture damage rather than a simple cut or instant melting. Also ordinary in food preparation; context must establish the bodily sense. Verb [base, third-person present, past, past participle, -ing]: macerate, macerates, macerated, macerated, macerating. Derived/related family (not inflections): maceration (noun).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.