Nearby Words

nictate

[nik-ti-teyt] Origin

nic·ti·tate

[nik-ti-teyt]
verb (used without object), -tat·ed, -tat·ing.
to wink.
Also, nic·tate.


Origin:
1815–25; < Medieval Latin nictitātus, past participle of nictitāre, frequentative of Latin nictāre to wink, frequentative of nicere to beckon; see -ate1

nic·ti·tant, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To nictate

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Nictate is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Collins
World English Dictionary
nictitate or nictate (ˈnɪktɪˌteɪt, ˈnɪkteɪt)
 
vb
technical words for blink
 
[C19: from Medieval Latin nictitāre to wink repeatedly, from Latin nictāre to wink, from nicere to beckon]
 
nictate or nictate
 
vb
 
[C19: from Medieval Latin nictitāre to wink repeatedly, from Latin nictāre to wink, from nicere to beckon]
 
nicti'tation or nictate
 
n
 
nic'tation or nictate
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

nictitate
"to wink," 1822, from M.L. nictitatus, pp. of nictitare, freq. of L. nictare "wink, blink," related to second element in connive (q.v.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature