urticate

1 of 2

verb

ur·​ti·​cate ˈər-tə-ˌkāt 

urticated; urticating

intransitive verb

: to produce wheals or itching

especially : to induce hives

urtication

ˌər-tə-ˈkā-shən 

noun

urtication

2 of 2

noun

ur·​ti·​ca·​tion

plural -s

1

: an itching and stinging sensation (as from contact with nettles)

2

[urtic- (in New Latin urticaria) + -ation] : wheal formation in urticaria

Examples of urticate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Urticating hairs, bristly and very sharp, cover a tarantula’s abdomen and legs and make the spider very unappetizing for any potential predator. — Michael Bogan, National Geographic, 30 Aug. 2016

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Medieval Latin urticatus, past participle of urticare to sting, from Latin urtica

Noun

Medieval Latin urtication-, urticatio, from urticatus (past participle) + Latin -ion-, -io -ion

First Known Use

Verb

1843, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for urticate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Medical Definition

urticate

intransitive verb

ur·​ti·​cate ˈərt-ə-ˌkāt 

urticated; urticating

: to produce wheals or itching

especially : to induce hives

urtication

ˌərt-ə-ˈkā-shən 

noun