Meanings
present singular third person bombinates · participle present bombinating · participle past bombinated · past bombinated
- to buzz or hum; to speak idly, vacuously, or to little effect.
So full a ship, so close-packed a world, moving urgently along, surrounded by its own vacuum; each man bombinating in his own, no doubt.
1973, Patrick O'Brian, HMS Surprise1 more example
None of this multitude of thinkers and their satellites brought his thoughts into really conclusive contact with the others. To do it would have been to discover much practical identity and so lose distinction. After their fashion, each bombinated abundantly with only the slightest regard to other bombinators.
1941, H.G. Wells, You Can't be Too Careful: A Sample of Life 1901-1951, London: Secker & Warburg, page 284
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekβομβυλιάζειν
- Latinbombilō
- Medieval Latinbombināre“buzz, hum”
- Englishbombinate
From Medieval Latin bombināre (“buzz, hum”), variant of Latin bombilō, from Ancient Greek βομβυλιάζειν (bombuliázein), from βόμβος (bómbos, “booming, humming”), of imitative origin.
More words from Medieval Latin, Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian бръмча, жужа
- бръмча (brămča)buzz or hum
- жужа (žuža)buzz or hum
Cite this entry
bombinate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bombinate
“bombinate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bombinate. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bombinate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bombinate.
Source: bombinate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.