percolator: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowGeneral; Specific technical/domestic
Quick answer
What does “percolator” mean?
A pot for making coffee in which boiling water is forced repeatedly through ground coffee beans held in a perforated container, often using pressure.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A pot for making coffee in which boiling water is forced repeatedly through ground coffee beans held in a perforated container, often using pressure.
1) Any apparatus that filters a liquid through a porous material. 2) A person or thing that causes information, ideas, or influences to spread gradually.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the word identically for the coffee pot. The stovetop 'moka pot' is often a type of percolator; in the UK, 'coffee pot' is a more general term that might be used where 'percolator' is used in the US.
Connotations
In the US, 'percolator' can evoke a traditional, perhaps old-fashioned, method of making coffee (e.g., on a camping trip or at a family gathering). In the UK, the word is strongly associated with a specific appliance.
Frequency
The word is more common in US English due to the historical popularity of percolator coffee makers in American households. In UK English, 'cafetière' (French press) or 'filter machine' are more frequently discussed.
Grammar
How to Use “percolator” in a Sentence
N (for N)the percolator + V (bubbled/hissed/perked)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “percolator” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Let the coffee percolate for a few minutes before serving.
- News of the scandal slowly began to percolate through Westminster.
American English
- I'll percolate a fresh pot of coffee.
- Excitement percolated through the crowd before the game.
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverbial form in use]
American English
- [No standard adverbial form in use]
adjective
British English
- The percolator method produces a strong flavour.
- We studied percolator coffee culture.
American English
- Grandma's percolator coffee tasted different.
- He prefers percolator-style brew.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in retail/kitchenware sales.
Academic
Used in history of technology, material culture studies, or as a metaphor in social sciences for diffusion.
Everyday
Used when discussing coffee-making methods, particularly older or camp-style coffee.
Technical
Used in chemistry/engineering for any filtration or leaching device.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “percolator”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “percolator”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “percolator”
- Confusing a 'percolator' (water cycles through grounds) with a 'drip brewer' (water passes once). Using 'percolator' as a generic term for any coffee maker.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A percolator cycles boiling water repeatedly through the coffee grounds, while a drip machine passes hot water through the grounds only once.
Because the recycled boiling water continues to extract bitter compounds from the grounds, and the coffee is kept at a high temperature for the entire brewing cycle.
Yes, but the verb is 'to percolate'. 'Percolator' is solely a noun. The verb means to filter through, or for an idea to gradually develop or spread.
It refers to a specific type of coffee brewing device, often nostalgic or used in camping. The metaphorical use ('idea percolator') is much less frequent.
A pot for making coffee in which boiling water is forced repeatedly through ground coffee beans held in a perforated container, often using pressure.
Percolator is usually general; specific technical/domestic in register.
Percolator: in British English it is pronounced /ˈpɜː.kəl.eɪ.tə(r)/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈpɝː.kə.leɪ.t̬ɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[Rare, dated] 'The news began to percolate through the office.' (Verb form).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
PERCOLATOR: Picture PERfect COffee LATe in the mORning, bubbling up through a pot.
Conceptual Metaphor
IDEAS ARE LIQUIDS ('The idea percolated in his mind for weeks'). PROCESSES ARE JOURNEYS THROUGH A MEDIUM ('Water percolates through the grounds').
Practice
Quiz
In a technical or metaphorical sense, what does a 'percolator' do?