1. to make soft by soaking or steeping in a liquid 2. to separate into constituents by soaking 3. to cause to become lean, usually by starvation; emaciate
My friend Melissa used this word tonight. It just tripped off her tongue like it was no big deal. I was impressed.
I haven't heard that word used in about 30 years, and when I did, it was adapted for what would probably be considered by a purist to be a less-than-appropriate use. Some engineers started a company to develop and sell a toilet intended for use on boats and recreational vehicles. Its main component was a horizontal spinning disk or plate with radial blades or vanes on its top surface, which they called a macerator, the function of which was to macerate stuff. I'll leave the rest to your imagination. The company, incidentally, did not survive.