Read the Latest from M-W
cumulate was our Word of the Day on 11/11/2011. Hear the podcast!
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Did You Know?
Cumulate and its far more common relative "accumulate" both come from the Latin word cumulare, meaning "to heap up." "Cumulare," in turn, comes from cumulus, meaning "mass." ("Cumulus" functions as an English word in its own right as well. It can mean "heap" or "accumulation," or it can refer to a kind of dense puffy cloud with a flat base and rounded outlines.) "Cumulate" and "accumulate" overlap in meaning, but you're likely to find "cumulate" mostly in technical contexts. The word's related adjective, "cumulative," however, is used more widely.
Origin and Etymology of cumulate
Latin cumulatus, past participle of cumulare, from cumulus mass
Learn More about cumulate
-
See words that rhyme with cumulate Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cumulate
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up cumulate? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!