copulate

play

verb cop·u·late \ ˈkä-pyə-ˌlāt \

Definition of copulate

copulated; copulating

intransitive verb

:to engage in sexual intercourse

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copulation

play \ˌkä-pyə-ˈlā-shən\ noun

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copulatory

play \ˈkä-pyə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē\ adjective

See copulate defined for English-language learners

See copulate defined for kids

Examples of copulate in a Sentence

Some animals have complex mating rituals before they copulate.
the time of year when deer in the wild are likely to copulate

Recent Examples of copulate from the Web

General George Washington ordered Lieutenant Gotthold Frederick Enslin literally drummed out of the Continental Army for copulating with a private in his cabin.

— dave cullen, vanityfair.com, "“Betrayal”: Transgender Troops React to Trump’s Ban," 2 Aug. 2017
General George Washington ordered Lieutenant Gotthold Frederick Enslin literally drummed out of the Continental Army for copulating with a private in his cabin.

— chiara marinai, The Hive, "“Betrayal”: Transgender Troops React to Trump’s Ban," 2 Aug. 2017
Or a wet-denim-fetish site, where the turn-on seems to be jumping into a pool or showering with jeans on, then copulating.

— lucas peterson, GQ, "Gore, Porn, and Unspeakable Acts on Dead Bears: My Awful Life as the Internet's Janitor," 22 May 2017
Now her mission is to copulate with the Commander, Fred Waterford, while lying in the lap of his infertile wife (Yvonne Strahovski).

— kathryn shattuck, New York Times, "What’s on TV Wednesday: ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and ‘Gomorrah’," 26 Apr. 2017
In some species, males may even refuse to copulate with certain females.

— zuleyma tang-martinez, Smithsonian, "How Victorian Gender Norms Shaped the Way We Think About Animal Sex," 24 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'copulate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of copulate

Latin copulatus, past participle of copulare to join, from copula — see copula

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1630

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copulate Synonyms

Synonyms

breed, mate, sleep, do it, have sex

Related Words

fool around, fornicate

COPULATE Defined for English Language Learners

copulate

play

verb

Definition of copulate for English Language Learners

: to have sexual intercourse

Medical Dictionary

copulate

play

intransitive verb cop·u·late \ ˈkäp-yə-ˌlāt \

medical Definition of copulate

copulated; copulating

1 :to engage in sexual intercourse

2 of gametes :to fuse permanently — compare conjugate 1

—

copulation

play \ˌkäp-yə-ˈlā-shən\ noun

—

copulatory

play \ˈkäp-yə-lə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˌtȯr-\ adjective

Learn More about copulate

See words that rhyme with copulate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for copulate Spanish Central: Translation of copulate Nglish: Translation of copulate for Spanish speakers

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copulate

Definition of copulate

copulation

copulatory

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Examples of copulate in a Sentence

Recent Examples of copulate from the Web

Origin and Etymology of copulate

copulate Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

COPULATE Defined for English Language Learners

copulate

Definition of copulate for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

copulate

medical Definition of copulate

copulation

copulatory

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