maceration
maceration — verb
1. to make a living creature become extremely thin and weak, especially through a l
to make a living creature become extremely thin and weak, especially through a long period without enough food or through a severe illness
The long drought macerated the livestock, leaving the animals too weak to stand.
causative: drought macerated livestock
Dr. Okonkwo watched his patient grow thinner each week, slowly macerated by the terminal disease.
passive: be macerated by + cause
Prolonged isolation and severe malnutrition had macerated the orphaned children beyond recognition.
Hunger macerated the abandoned horses after supply routes to the village were cut off.
A regime of harsh fasting macerated the monks until their bodies were only skin and bone.
- fatten
to make plump or well-fed, the opposite of causing to waste away
文法句型
macerate + direct object
be macerated by + cause
用法筆記
Often used in the passive voice with the cause introduced by by. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense describes loss of body mass through starvation or illness, not softening through liquid contact.
常見錯誤
2. to break down or soften a solid material by keeping it in a liquid for a period
to break down or soften a solid material by keeping it in a liquid for a period of time, so that its structure falls apart, flavours are released, or useful substances are extracted
The chef macerated the strawberries in sugar and lemon juice before serving them with cream.
macerate + object + in + liquid
Takeshi macerated the medicinal herbs in alcohol to draw out the active compounds for his tincture.
The laboratory technician macerated a small piece of lung tissue in saline solution for microscopic examination.
Winemakers macerate red grape skins with the juice to absorb colour and tannins.
Amara macerated the dried mushrooms in warm water until they softened for the broth.
- dry
to remove moisture, reversing the wetting process
文法句型
macerate + object + in + liquid
macerate + object + for + duration
用法筆記
Always takes a direct object. Subject is usually a person (chef, scientist, winemaker) or a process. Object is usually plant material, food items, or biological tissue. The liquid is typically water, alcohol, oil, or fruit juice.
常見錯誤
3. to become soft or break apart naturally as a result of being left in a liquid fo
to become soft or break apart naturally as a result of being left in a liquid for a long time, without anyone actively causing it
The old wooden fence posts had macerated after years of rain soaking into the grain.
intransitive: object + macerate + after + condition
The cotton bandages macerated against the wound, turning into a wet, shapeless mess.
After three days in the pond, the fallen leaves macerated into a dark sludge.
Meilin found that the cardboard boxes in the basement had macerated and collapsed.
- disintegrate
more complete breakdown, not necessarily through liquid
- decompose
implies biological decay, not just physical softening
- harden
to become firm or solid, opposite of softening
文法句型
object + macerate + in + liquid
object + macerate + over + duration
用法筆記
Intransitive — no direct object follows. The subject is something that decomposes or softens on its own through contact with moisture. No agent is named; the focus is on the material's change of state.