reciprocate
/ɹɪˈsɪpɹəˌkeɪt/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.78 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To exchange two things, with both parties giving one thing and taking another thing.
Transitive verb
verb
To give something else in response (where the "thing" may also be abstract, a feeling or action) To make a reciprocal gift.
Example Sentences
- "The USTR isn't reciprocating actual tariffs. It's just placing the biggest tariffs on the countries running the biggest trade surpluses."
- "I gave them apples from my tree; they reciprocated with a pie and some apple jelly."
- "I simply couldn't accept such a gift without reciprocating."
- "Nugget appreciates the generosity! Nugget will reciprocate with a Monstermon card!"
- "a reciprocating engine"
- "One brawny smith the puffing bellows plies, / And draws and blows reciprocating air."
Etymology
From Latin recīprocātus, perfect passive participle of recīprocō (“to move back and forth”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from reciprocus (“back an forth, reciprocal, alternating”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix), itself possibly from a phrase such as reque proque (“back and forth”), from re- (“back”), prō (“forwards”) and -que (“and”). See also reciprocal. Compare French réciproquer.
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: recīprocātus