maceration
noun
- process of extraction by soaking plant material in cold or warm water
- (cause to) break down, wither away, causing to break down or wither away
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /mæsəˈɹeɪʃən/
noun
Etymology: Latin mācerātiō.
- The act or process of macerating.
“[…] proposed that the small size of the teeth […] implied that most of the maceration of the food occurred after swallowing.”