Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

fornicate

/ˈfɔɹ.nɪˌkeɪt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.96 in modern English

Syllables
for-ni-cate
IPA
/ˈfɔɹ.nɪˌkeɪt/
14
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To engage in fornication.

Intransitive verb

adj

Shaped like an arch or vault; resembling a fornix.

Etymology

First attested in 1552; borrowed from Latin fornicātus, perfect active participle of fornicor (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from fornix (“arch, vault; brothel”). It was customary for courtesans of the era to wait for their customers out of the rain in arched passageways.

Origin

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈfɔɹ.nɪˌkeɪt/
  • British English: /ˈfɔː.nɪˌkeɪt/

Usage

Inflected Forms

fornicates (present, singular) fornicating (participle, present) fornicated (participle, past) fornicated (past) more fornicate (comparative) most fornicate (superlative) fornicated (alternative)

Derived Forms

Californicate fornicated fornicator Fornigate phonicate telephonicate subfornicate

Phrases

fornicate gyrus

Questions

How do you pronounce fornicate?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈfɔɹ.nɪˌkeɪt/.
What does fornicate mean?
To engage in fornication.
Where does fornicate come from?
First known use: First attested in 1552.

How to pronounce fornicate

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “fornicate”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈfɔɹ.nɪˌkeɪt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “fornicate”.
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