urticate

1 of 2

verb

ur·​ti·​cate ˈər-tə-ˌkāt 

urticated; urticating

intransitive verb

: to produce wheals or itching

especially : to induce hives

urtication

ˌər-tə-ˈkā-shən 

noun

urtication

2 of 2

noun

ur·​ti·​ca·​tion

plural -s

1

: an itching and stinging sensation (as from contact with nettles)

2

[urtic- (in New Latin urticaria) + -ation] : wheal formation in urticaria

Examples of urticate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Urticating hairs, bristly and very sharp, cover a tarantula’s abdomen and legs and make the spider very unappetizing for any potential predator. —Michael Bogan, National Geographic, 30 Aug. 2016

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Medieval Latin urticatus, past participle of urticare to sting, from Latin urtica

Noun

Medieval Latin urtication-, urticatio, from urticatus (past participle) + Latin -ion-, -io -ion

First Known Use

Verb

1843, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for urticate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Medical Definition

urticate

intransitive verb

ur·​ti·​cate ˈərt-ə-ˌkāt 

urticated; urticating

: to produce wheals or itching

especially : to induce hives

urtication

ˌərt-ə-ˈkā-shən 

noun