Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

divaricate

/daɪˈvæɹɪkeɪt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.27 in modern English

Syllables
di-var-i-cate
IPA
/daɪˈvæɹɪkeɪt/
16
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To spread apart; to (cause to) diverge or branch off.

adj

Having wide angles between the branches.

Etymology

The verb is first attested in 1623, the adjective in 1788; borrowed from Latin dīvāricātus, perfect passive participle of dīvāricō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from dis- + vāricō (“to straddle, to stretch (the legs) apart”), from vāricus (“straddling”).

Inflected Forms

divaricates (present, singular) divaricating (participle, present) divaricated (participle, past) divaricated (past) more divaricate (comparative) most divaricate (superlative)

Derived Forms

divaricatingly divaricately

Frequently Paired Words

prevaricate prevarication prevaricator

Questions

How do you pronounce divaricate?
The recorded pronunciation is /daɪˈvæɹɪkeɪt/.
What does divaricate mean?
To spread apart; to (cause to) diverge or branch off.
Where does divaricate come from?
The verb is first attested in 1623, the adjective in 1788; borrowed from Latin dīvāricātus, perfect passive participle of dīvāricō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from dis- + vāricō (“to straddle, to stretch (the legs) apart”), from vāricus (“straddling”).

How to pronounce divaricate

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