undulate
undulate Lexical Profile
undulate Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To move or cause to move with a smooth, wavelike motion.
"Golden fields of tall wheat undulate gently whenever a summer breeze sweeps across the valley."
To have a smoothly rising and falling form, outline, or pitch (especially of terrain or sound).
"The narrow country road begins to undulate as it approaches the foothills of the mountain range."
• adjective
Having a smoothly rising and falling form or outline, especially regarding the wavy margins of a leaf or shell.
"The botanist identified the specimen by its glossy green leaves with distinctly undulate edges."
Word Nuance & Usage
The verb 'undulate' is pronounced with a long 'a' sound at the end (/ˈʌndjəleɪt/), whereas the less common adjective form is typically pronounced with a short, unstressed schwa (/ˈʌndjələt/).
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-17th century from Late Latin 'undulatus' (wavy), a derivative of Latin 'undula' (wavelet), which is a diminutive of 'unda' (wave).