Altercate definition | Dictionary.com

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Altercate - 4 dictionary results

al⋅ter⋅cate

[awl-ter-keyt]

–verb (used without object), -cat⋅ed, -cat⋅ing.

to argue or quarrel with zeal, heat, or anger; wrangle.

Origin:
1530–40; < L altercātus (ptp. of altercārī to quarrel), equiv. to *alterc(us) a disputing (alter other + -cus formative suffix) + -ātus -ate ¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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al·ter·cate (ôl'tər-kāt') Pronunciation Key
intr.v. al·ter·cat·ed, al·ter·cat·ing, al·ter·cates
To argue or dispute vehemently; wrangle.

[Latin altercārī, altercāt-, to quarrel, from alter, other; see al-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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altercate
verb
have a disagreement over something; "We quarreled over the question as to who discovered America"; "These two fellows are always scrapping over something" [syn: quarrel]

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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Altercate

Al"ter*cate\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Altercated; p. pr. & vb. n. Altercating.] [L. altercatus, p. p. of altercare, altercari, fr. alter another. See Alter.] To contend in words; to dispute with zeal, heat, or anger; to wrangle.

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