supersaturated

adjective

su·​per·​sat·​u·​rat·​ed ˌsü-pər-ˈsa-chə-ˌrā-təd How to pronounce supersaturated (audio)
: containing an amount of a substance greater than that required for saturation as a result of having been cooled from a higher temperature to a temperature below that at which saturation occurs
a supersaturated solution
air supersaturated with water vapor

Examples of supersaturated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The dead salmon showed signs of gas bubble disease, which can occur when water is supersaturated with dissolved gases. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2024 Frost forms when that air becomes supersaturated, the excess water vapor is deposited as seed crystals on various surfaces, and the air temperature drops below the dew point. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 8 Dec. 2023 Scientists just discovered that the island’s retreating glaciers are creating a potentially significant climate feedback loop: When the ice disappears, groundwater that’s supersaturated with methane bubbles to the surface. Matt Simon, WIRED, 13 July 2023 But this show deftly plucks this familiar trait from the supersaturated solution in which it is usually immersed (her biography, her legend) and deposits it in the one that really matters: her working process. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 11 May 2023 His supersaturated colors intensify and distort the usual expectations of color photography. Vulture, 6 Jan. 2023 As in many of Kha’s pictures, a tenderly sunlit strain of Lynchian surrealism brings his themes of dislocation, domesticity, identity, and masquerade into gorgeous, supersaturated relief. Johanna Fateman, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2022 Then the pandemic hit, and the conversation about work became even (rightfully) more supersaturated with words like compassion, people-first policies, work-life balance, and empathetic management. Lila MacLellan, Quartz, 9 May 2022 But the punishing need to stay relevant in a supersaturated market is also fueling severe burnout. Washington Post, 1 Dec. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of supersaturated was in 1788

Dictionary Entries Near supersaturated

Cite this Entry

“Supersaturated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supersaturated. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

supersaturated

adjective
su·​per·​sat·​u·​rat·​ed ˌsü-pər-ˈsach-ə-ˌrāt-əd How to pronounce supersaturated (audio)
: containing an amount of something greater than the amount required for saturation by having been cooled from a higher temperature to a temperature below that at which saturation occurs
a supersaturated solution
air supersaturated with water vapor
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