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Palpate has been part of the English language since the 19th century. It was probably coined from the preexisting noun form palpation, which itself traces back to the Latin verb palpare, meaning "to stroke or caress." Other descendants of palpare in English include palpable (an adjective that might describe a tense moment that can be "felt"), palpitate (what the heart does when it beats so hard that it can be felt through the chest), and the verb palp ("to touch or feel"). Even feel itself is a distant cousin of palpitate, as both words can be linked to the same ancient root word that gave Latin palpare.
Examples of palpate in a Sentence
Kevin Vigilante, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Expect a thorough exam, during which the provider will palpate (touch) the bicep, check for swelling or tenderness, and assess your range of motion and strength.
—Sarah Jividen, Health, 11 Oct. 2024
Expect a thorough exam, during which the provider will palpate (touch) the bicep, check for swelling or tenderness, and assess your range of motion and strength.
—Sarah Jividen, Health, 11 Oct. 2024
At your prenatal visits, your doctor or midwife will check your baby's position by palpating or feeling your belly to find the baby’s head, back, and bottom.
—Donna Murray, Rn, Parents, 25 July 2024
The lead veterinarian, Cristina Buitrago, knelt and palpated the hippo’s abdomen to feel for his testicles, located in the inguinal canal.
—Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 June 2024
Providers may need to use special techniques during manual cancer exams in people with obesity, like when palpating larger breasts or performing a rectal exam.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 19 Jan. 2024
Kuang’s narrative palpates the nuances of cultural performance and writerly ethics, finally concluding that all authors steal for material anyway.
—Zoe Hu, Washington Post, 12 May 2023
Interpreting Results To determine whether dry needling is an effective treatment for you, your healthcare provider or therapist will palpate your trigger points and ask you about your level of pain, movement, and stiffness following your session.
—Brittany Ferri, Verywell Health, 17 Apr. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Palpate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palpate. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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