saturated /sach″ərā′tid/ [L, saturare, to fill] , 1. having absorbed or dissolved the maximum amount of a given substance, such as a solution in which no more of the solute can be dissolved. 2. an organic compound that contains the maximum number of hydrogen atoms so that only single bonds exist in the carbon chain, as in saturated fatty acids. Also called saturated hydrocarbon. Compare unsaturated.
