copulate
copulate Lexical Profile
copulate Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To engage in sexual intercourse or mating (especially of animals, or in formal and scientific contexts).
"During the brief spring breeding season, the adult beetles gather on the leaves to copulate."
To join, link, or unite in pairs (now rare or archaic).
"In early philosophical texts, the author sought to copulate distinct logical premises into a unified system."
• adjective
Joined, linked, or coupled together (chiefly archaic or technical).
"Early anatomical treatises occasionally described the twin vessels as copulate structures."
Word Nuance & Usage
In modern usage, "copulate" is a formal, clinical, or biological term used primarily to describe animal mating or human reproduction in scientific contexts; using it in casual conversation about people typically sounds overly clinical or humorous.
• Rhymes for copulate
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 17th century from Latin copulatus, the past participle of copulare ("to join or couple together"), from copula ("a bond, tie, or link").