lactate

1 of 2

noun

lac·​tate ˈlak-ˌtāt How to pronounce lactate (audio)
: a salt or ester of lactic acid

lactate

2 of 2

verb

lactated; lactating

intransitive verb

: to secrete milk

Examples of lactate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Traditionally, lactate threshold has been a critical measure of athletic performance by pinpointing exercise intensity when lactate starts to rise in muscles and blood. Travis Nemkov, Discover Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024 Tempo runs are slightly more intense efforts than steady-state runs, and they’re run right at the lactate threshold. Greg McMillan, Outside Online, 25 Jan. 2022 As are deeper metrics like lactate threshold/FTP, which simply don’t exist on Apple Watches (or any other wearables). Corey Gaskin, Ars Technica, 25 Mar. 2023 Dutch scientists encapsulated Bacillus bacteria, which can survive for decades without food or water, in biodegradable plastic with calcium lactate as a food source. Chris Holt, Discover Magazine, 23 Nov. 2021 A little more processing resulted in potassium lactate, which is added to a variety of foods as a preservative. Sophie Bushwick, Scientific American, 26 Aug. 2022 Proponents of the Norwegian training model that’s currently in vogue might argue that a lactate meter fits the bill. Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 22 Mar. 2023 Calcium lactate is a mineral supplement used to treat or prevent calcium deficiency. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 4 Dec. 2022 On top of that, most studies used magnesium lactate or magnesium oxide supplements, which may also minimize symptoms of anxiety, according to the 2017 review. Andi Breitowich, Women's Health, 3 Sep. 2023
Verb
Moving from breast milk to blood serum would allow people of any age and reproductive status to be screened for the disease, rather than just those who are lactating. Danielle Whitham, Discover Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024 At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, French lactating parents will—finally—get just that. Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 28 Mar. 2024 Cows in New Mexico have also been reported sick, with the affected animals—which are primarily older—exhibiting fever, eating less, lactating less and producing thick and discolored milk. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024 People in North Africa, Asia, and southern Europe have traditionally used fenugreek to increase breastmilk supply in lactating people.1 Research has shown that fenugreek significantly increases the amount of breastmilk. Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health, 24 Mar. 2024 Servings Per Container: 30 Who's It For Best for women who are looking to conceive, pregnant, or lactating. Lainey Younkin, Ms, Rd, Verywell Health, 22 Mar. 2024 These include when someone is pregnant or lactating, older people, athletes, and growing children. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024 Children often fail first Children, pregnant and lactating women, people with medical conditions and older adults typically succumb first to acute malnutrition. Stephanie Nolen, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2024 What Is Post-Weaning Depression? Post-weaning depression is a term used to describe mental health symptoms that can occur after a lactating person stops breastfeeding. Zara Hanawalt, Parents, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lactate.' 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

Verb

Latin lactatus, past participle of lactare, from lact-, lac

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1794, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lactate was circa 1794

Dictionary Entries Near lactate

Cite this Entry

“Lactate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lactate. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

lactate

verb
lac·​tate
ˈlak-ˌtāt
lactated; lactating
: to give off milk
lactation
lak-ˈtā-shən
noun

Medical Definition

lactate

1 of 2 noun
lac·​tate ˈlak-ˌtāt How to pronounce lactate (audio)
: a salt or ester of lactic acid

lactate

2 of 2 intransitive verb
lactated; lactating
: to secrete milk

More from Merriam-Webster on lactate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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