macerate

(transitive verb, intransitive verb, noun)
[MAS·ah·rayt']

transitive verb

1. to soften by soaking in liquid: "Jesse listened to his sister rant gloomily, as his cereal macerated in milk."

2. to separate into constituent elements by soaking in liquid

3. to make lean, especially by fasting or starvation; emaciate

intransitive verb

4. to become soft or separated into constituent elements by soaking; 'the grapes were left to macerate'

noun

5. something prepared or produced by soaking in a liquid

additional noun forms: maceration, macerator, macerater
Origin

Approximately 1547; borrowed from Middle French, 'macerer'; from Latin, 'maceratus,' past participle of 'macerare': to soften, to steep, related to 'maceria': garden wall (originally of kneaded clay).