MEANING
1. To move or filter through a porous material or small openings.
2. To circulate, spread, or develop gradually, especially of information or an idea.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- water percolates
- percolate through soil
On the page
Water percolated through the sandy layer into the lower chamber.
The coffee percolated while she reread the message.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- percolate
- Past tense
- percolated
- Past participle
- percolated
- Present participle
- percolating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- percolate
- Present continuous
- am/is/are percolating
- Present perfect
- have/has percolated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been percolating
- Past
- percolated
- Past continuous
- was/were percolating
- Past perfect
- had percolated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been percolating
- Future
- will percolate
- Future continuous
- will be percolating
- Future perfect
- will have percolated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been percolating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: percolate; percolates; percolated; percolated; percolating Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: percolates.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.