Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pullulate

/ˈpʌl.jʊ.leɪt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: pul-lu-late
IPA: /ˈpʌl.jʊ.leɪt/

11

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To multiply rapidly.

verb

verb

To teem with; to be filled (with).

Example Sentences

"I must say the whole of Oxford has become most peculiar suddenly. Last night it was pullulating with women."

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin pullulātus, perfect passive participle of pullulō (“sprout forth”), from pullulus (“a young animal, a sprout”), diminutive of pullus.

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Root: *peh₂w-, pullulātus

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈpʌl.jʊ.leɪt/
British English: /ˈpʌl.jʊ.leɪt/

Inflected Forms

pullulates (present, singular) pullulating (participle, present) pullulated (participle, past) pullulated (past)

Derived Forms

pullulation

Frequently Paired Words

pullet poultry repullulate

Synonyms

shoot spud germinate bourgeon burgeon forth sprout pour swarm stream teem

Questions

How do you pronounce pullulate?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpʌl.jʊ.leɪt/.
What does pullulate mean?: To multiply rapidly.
Where does pullulate come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce pullulate

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “pullulate”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈpʌl.jʊ.leɪt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “pullulate”.
Repeat and practice — Say “pullulate” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.