Meaning & use

percolation

noun·Academic

The slow, gradual passage of a liquid through a porous material or substance.

See it in a sentence

Percolation of rainwater through the soil gradually refills the underground aquifer.

Coffee percolation relies on hot water slowly filtering through the ground beans.

A note on using this word

Percolation describes gradual movement through small gaps, and the word is also used figuratively for ideas spreading slowly through a group.

Words with a similar meaning

filtrationseepage

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

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