Some animals have complex mating rituals before they copulate.
the time of year when deer in the wild are likely to copulate
Recent Examples on the WebAdvertisement All of the male apes at the sanctuary receive vasectomies, but that does not preclude them from copulating.—Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2024 Paired with the orchid’s unique color and shape, these adaptations lure male wasps from afar and inspire them to try to copulate with the flower, covering the wasps with pollen in the process.—Liz Lindqwister, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 July 2024 Now, for the first time ever, citizen scientists have photographed two humpback whales copulating.—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Mar. 2024 The whales were seen copulating by photographers Lyle Krannichfeld and Brandi Romano on January 19, 2022.—Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for copulate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'copulate.' 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
Latin copulatus, past participle of copulare to join, from copula — see copula
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