maceration /-ā″shən/ , 1. the softening and breaking down of skin resulting from prolonged exposure to moisture. 2. (in histology) the softening of a tissue by soaking, especially in acids, until the connective tissue fibers are dissolved so that the tissue can be teased apart. 3. (in obstetrics) the degenerative changes with discoloration and softening of tissues and the eventual disintegration of a fetus retained in the uterus after its death.
