-ate

comparative more -ate · superlative most -ate

1. forms adjectives with meaning "having the specified thing"

   lobate — “having lobes, lobed”

   Synonyms: -ed, -ous

2. forms adjectives with meaning "characterized by the specified thing"

   Italianate — “characterized by Italian features”

3. forms adjectives with meaning "resembling the specified thing"

   palmate — “resembling a palm leaf”

4. ending of Latin- (ending in -ātus) and French-borrowed (ending in -é) participial adjectives

   deliberate — “deliberated”

   1 more example

   degenerate — “degenerated”

1. obsoleteup until Early Modern English, formed regular past participles of verbs ending in -ate. Rare afterwards except in archaizing poetry, religious writing and Scotland. The alternative ending -ated was used from as early as Middle English

present singular third person -ates · participle present -ating · participle past -ated · past -ated

1. derives or adapts verbs (mostly) from Latin stems

   Latin fōrmula (“a formula”) + -ate → formulate

   2 more examples

   Ancient Greek φωνή (phōnḗ, “a sound”) + -ate → phonate

   Latin līberō (“to set free”) + -ate → liberate

plural -ates

1. rareforms nouns meaning "person or thing that is either the object of a performed transitive verb or the subject of an intransitive one"

   affiliate — “a person having been affiliated; literally, affiliated”

   1 more example

   diffus(e) + -ate → diffusate (“in a process of dialysis, material that has diffused”)

   Synonyms: -ee

2. obsoleteforms nouns meaning "person or thing that is the subject of a transitive verb"

   assassin + -ate → assassinate (“an assassin”)

3. biologyforms nouns meaning "specimen of a corresponding taxon ending in -ata"

   articulate — “An animal of the taxon Articulata”

plural -ates

1. chemistryforms derivatives of specified elements or compounds; especially salts or esters of an acid whose name ends in -ic

   acetate — “a salt or ester of acetic acid”

plural -ates

1. forms nouns denoting a rank or office

   emirate — “the office of an emir”

2. forms nouns denoting the concrete charge, context of a rank or office

   emirate — “the realm of an emir”

3. forms nouns denoting a group of officials associated with a rank or office

   triumvirate — “an official group of three men, triumvirs”

4. forms nouns denoting a social or political system ruled by people or someone of a certain rank or office

   patriarchate — “a social system in which heads of household (patriarchs) hold the power”

5. forms nouns denoting a state (government) ruled by people or someone of a certain rank or office

   emirate — “a state ruled by an emir”

6. forms nouns denoting a state associated with one's social situation

   celibate — “the state of being a bachelor, celibacy”

   Synonyms: -cy