View synonyms for -ate

-ate

a suffix occurring in loanwords from Latin, its English distribution paralleling that of Latin. The form originated as a suffix added to a- stem verbs to form adjectives ( separate ). The resulting form could also be used independently as a noun ( advocate ) and came to be used as a stem on which a verb could be formed ( separate; advocate; agitate ). In English the use as a verbal suffix has been extended to stems of non-Latin origin: calibrate; acierate .

-ate

a specialization of -ate ¹, used to indicate a salt of an acid ending in -ic , added to a form of the stem of the element or group: nitrate; sulfate .

-ate

a suffix occurring originally in nouns borrowed from Latin, and in English coinages from Latin bases, that denote offices or functions ( consulate; triumvirate; pontificate ), as well as institutions or collective bodies ( electorate; senate ); sometimes extended to denote a person who exercises such a function ( magistrate; potentate ), an associated place ( consulate ), or a period of office or rule ( protectorate ). Joined to stems of any origin, ate3 signifies the office, term of office, or territory of a ruler or official ( caliphate; khanate; shogunate ).

ate

⁴

[ eyt; British et ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb

simple past tense of eat.

Ate

⁵

[ ey-tee, ah-tee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

an ancient Greek goddess personifying the fatal blindness or recklessness that produces crime and the divine punishment that follows it.

ATE

⁶

equipment that makes a series of tests automatically.

Ate

/ ˈɑːtɪ; ˈeɪtɪ /

noun

Greek myth a goddess who makes men blind so that they will blunder into guilty acts

ate

/ eɪt; ɛt /

verb

the past tense of eat

-ate

suffix

forming adjectives possessing; having the appearance or characteristics of
Latinate
palmate
fortunate
forming nouns a chemical compound, esp a salt or ester of an acid
carbonate
stearate
forming nouns the product of a process
condensate
forming verbs from nouns and adjectives
rusticate
hyphenate

-ate

⁴

suffix forming nouns

denoting office, rank, or a group having a certain function
electorate
episcopate

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Word History and Origins

Origin of -ate¹

< Latin -ātus (masculine), -āta (feminine), -ātum (neuter), equivalent to -ā- thematic vowel + -tus, -ta, -tum past participle suffix

Origin of -ate²

Probably originally in New Latin phrases, as plumbum acetātum salt produced by the action of acetic acid on lead

Origin of -ate³

< Latin -ātus (genitive -ātūs ), generalized from v. derivatives, as augurātus office of an augur ( augurā(re) to foretell by augury + -tus suffix of v. action), construed as derivative of augur augur ¹

Origin of -ate⁴

< Greek, special use of átē reckless impulse, ruin, akin to aáein to mislead, harm

Origin of -ate⁵

a(utomatic) t(est) e(quipment)

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Word History and Origins

Origin of -ate¹

C16: via Latin from Greek atē a rash impulse

Origin of -ate²

from Latin -ātus, past participial ending of verbs ending in -āre

Origin of -ate³

from Latin -ātus, suffix (fourth declension) of collective nouns

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Example Sentences

Maybe someone ate the fruit from the pong-pong tree, or suffered a snake bite, or a death glare from one of the monkeys was extra strong that morning.

From Los Angeles Times

There's a reaction on social media about how "leopards ate my face," like, you're an idiot and it serves you right for voting for Trump.

From Salon

Thousands would walk to the sea before going to work, to exercise or just to gain some positive energy from the sight and sound of rain on the water as they ate their breakfast and drank their morning coffee.

From Slate

“I swear they were socialists when they were, like, 20,” the Acton-based state senator said of her relatives while we ate lunch at a restaurant in Santa Ana.

From Los Angeles Times

Maupassant hated the tower so much that, almost every day, he ate his lunch in the restaurant at the foot of the tower.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

at-desk A Team

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