turbulate

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verb

To turn (a laminar flow) into a turbulent flow.

OriginMiddle English turbulent ← Middle French turbulent ← Latin turbulentus →
Scrabble 11
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Meanings

verbturbulate (third-person singular simple present turbulates, present participle turbulating, simple past and past participle turbulated)

present singular third person turbulates · participle present turbulating · participle past turbulated · past turbulated

  1. transitiveTo turn (a laminar flow) into a turbulent flow.

Origin

  1. Latinturbulentus
  2. Middle Frenchturbulent
  3. Middle Englishturbulent
  4. Englishturbulate

From turbul(ent) + -ate (verb-forming suffix), from Middle English turbulent, from Middle French turbulent, from Latin turbulentus, from turba (“disorder, tumult, crowd”).

More words from Middle English, Middle French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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