Some animals have complex mating rituals before they copulate.
the time of year when deer in the wild are likely to copulate
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Male bees are fooled by these lookalikes and will attempt to copulate with them and, in doing so, will spread the pollen of the orchid.—The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 June 2025 But there was general agreement that most Central Floridians are seeing fewer of the copulating creepy-crawlies than in the past.—Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 May 2025 The Santal, in South Asia, believed that witches (always female) copulated with spirit familiars and devoured the organs of children.—Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 17 May 2025 He was groped over and under his clothes, forced to fondle and orally copulate the perpetrators and repeatedly raped.—Jeff McDonald, Mercury News, 12 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for copulate
Word History
Etymology
Latin copulatus, past participle of copulare to join, from copula — see copula
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