-ate

Etymology

From the Latin perfect passive participle suffixes of first conjugation verbs -ātus, -āta, and -ātum. In Middle English, it was written -at.

Full definition of -ate

Suffix

1. (in adjectives) having the specified thinglobate — “having lobes”
2. (in adjectives) characterized by the specified thingItalianate — “characterized by Italian features”
3. (in adjectives) resembling the specified thingpalmate — “resembling the palm”
4. (in nouns) a thing characterised by the specified thingapostate — “one who is characterized by dissent”
5. (in nouns) a rank or officerabbinate — “the office of a rabbi”
6. (chemistry, in nouns) a derivative of a specified element or compound; especially a salt or ester of an acid whose name ends in -icacetate — “a salt or ester of acetic acid”
7. (in verbs) to act in the specified mannerabbreviate — “to act by making (something) brief”

Synonyms

• (office) -cy
• (in verbs) -ify

Related terms

Derived terms

• abbreviate
• acetate
• apostate
• Italianate
• lobate
• palmate
• rabbinate