cavitate

verb

cav·​i·​tate ˈka-və-ˌtāt How to pronounce cavitate (audio)
cavitated; cavitating

intransitive verb

: to form cavities or bubbles

transitive verb

: to cavitate in

Examples of cavitate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web His fins began to cavitate. William Finnegan, The New Yorker, 23 May 2022 Boat propellers that cavitate end up seriously damaged. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 29 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cavitate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably by back formation from cavitation

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of cavitate was in 1909

Dictionary Entries Near cavitate

Cite this Entry

“Cavitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cavitate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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