palpate

P3A1L1P3A1T1E1
/ˈpælpeɪt/

verb

To examine or otherwise explore through touch, particularly (medicine) in reference to an area or organ of the human body.

“I palpated his expired heart.”

Similar
touchfeel
OriginLatin palpātus →
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Meanings

verbpalpate (third-person singular simple present palpates, present participle palpating, simple past and past participle palpated)

present singular third person palpates · participle present palpating · participle past palpated · past palpated

  1. To examine or otherwise explore through touch, particularly (medicine) in reference to an area or organ of the human body.

    I palpated his expired heart.

    1 more example

    David reached inside with his fingers and palpated a logic board.

    1992 March 2, Richard Preston, “The Mountains of Pi”, in The New Yorker

    Synonyms: touch

adjectivepalpate (not comparable)
  1. not comparableOf palp, or having palp.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo examine or otherwise explore through touch, particularly (medicine) in reference to an area or organ of the human body.

Similar
touch

More synonyms by meaning

verbexamine (a body part) by palpation

Similar
feel
Broader
touch
Also see
feelpaw

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinpalpātus
  2. Englishpalpate

Borrowed from Latin palpātus, perfect passive participle of palpō (“touch softly”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ψηλαφάω
  • ψηλαφάω (psēlapháō)to examine by feeling
Bulgarian опипвам, палпирам
  • опипвам (opipvam)to examine by feeling
  • палпирам (palpiram)to examine by feeling
Czech prohmatat, ošahat
  • prohmatatto examine by feeling
  • ošahatto examine by feeling
Esperanto palpi
  • palpito examine by feeling
Finnish tunnustella
  • tunnustellato examine by feeling
French palper
  • palperto examine by feeling
German abtasten, palpieren
  • abtastento examine by feeling
  • palpierento examine by feeling
Greek ψηλαφώ
  • ψηλαφώ (psilafó)to examine by feeling
Hungarian kitapint
  • kitapintto examine by feeling
Irish lámhaigh
  • lámhaighto examine by feeling
Japanese 触診する
  • 触診する (chokushin suru)to examine by feeling
Portuguese palpar, apalpar
  • palparto examine by feeling
  • apalparto examine by feeling
Russian ощупывать, ощупать
  • ощупывать (oščupyvatʹ)to examine by feeling
  • ощупать (oščupatʹ)to examine by feeling
Spanish palpar
  • palparto examine by feeling
Swedish palpera
  • palperato examine by feeling
Cite this entry
APA

palpate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palpate

MLA

“palpate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palpate. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “palpate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palpate.

Source: palpate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.