An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

1) Chem.: To add as much of a liquid, solid, or gas to a solution as it can absorb at a given temperature.
2) To fill something with so many things that no more can be added.

From L. saturatus, p.p. of saturare "to fill full, sate, drench," from satur "sated, full," from PIE base *sā- "to satisfy."

Anjâlidan "to saturate, to fill" (Dehxodâ, Steingass), ultimately from Proto-Iranian *ham-gar-, from *ham- "together," denoting "much, many," → syn-, + *gar- "to soak, moisten;" cf. Sogdian wγyr- "to soak, steep," from *aua-gar-, from which derives Pers. âqâridan, âqeštan "to steep, soak; mix."

1) Chem.: The qualifier of a solution that has as much solute as possible.
2) (Of colors) Of maximum chroma or purity.

Past participle of → saturate (v..

Air that contains the maximum amount of → water vapor that is possible at the given → temperature and → pressure, i.e. air in which the → relative humidity is 100%.

→ saturated; → air.

A liquid whose temperature and pressure are such that any decrease in pressure without change in temperature causes it to boil.

→ saturate; → liquid.

A solution which can exist in equilibrium with excess of solute. The saturation concentration is a function of the temperature.

→ saturate; → solution.

A vapor at the pressure and temperature at which it can exist in dynamical equilibrium with its liquid. Any compression of its volume at constant temperature causes it to condense to liquid at a rate sufficient to maintain a constant pressure. The term "saturated" is a misnomer, since it does not have the same meaning as a → saturated solution in chemistry. There is no question of one substance being dissolved in another.

→ saturate; → vapor.