Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

vellicate

/ˈvɛlɪkeɪt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables
vel-li-cate
IPA
/ˈvɛlɪkeɪt/
14
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To touch (a body part) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements.

Transitive verb

verb

To twitch or move convulsively.

Intransitive verb

verb

To tickle, provoking twitching and laughter.

Formal; Transitive verb

verb

To criticize in a somewhat irritating way; to carp at.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Latin vellicatus, past participle of vellicare (“to twitch”). Cognate with Spanish pellizcar (“to pinch”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

Usage

Inflected Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce vellicate?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈvɛlɪkeɪt/.
What does vellicate mean?
To touch (a body part) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements.
Where does vellicate come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce vellicate

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