percolated

Percolated is the past tense and past participle of percolate. The verb percolate means to filter, seep, or pass gradually through a porous medium. Etymologically, it derives from Latin percolare, to strain through. In common usage, something that has percolated has moved slowly or spread through a substance or population, often after a period of filtering or testing.

In coffee brewing, percolation describes water passing through ground coffee multiple times in a percolator. Percolated coffee results when the water repeatedly traverses the grounds, extracting flavors. The process can yield a strong brew, but over-percolation may increase bitterness and diminish delicate aromas.

In science, percolation theory studies how a fluid or information percolates through a random medium or network. A substance or signal is described as percolated when it has established connectivity across the system, or when a cluster spans from one side to the other during a phase transition known as the percolation threshold.

Metaphorically, ideas, rumors, or trends can percolate through a group or culture, spreading incrementally as individuals adopt or report them.

Related terms include percolation, percolator, and percolate.