pullulate

verb

pul·lu·late ˈpəl-yə-ˌlāt How to pronounce pullulate (audio)

pullulated; pullulating

intransitive verb

: germinate, sprout

: to breed or produce freely

the country's pullulating population

: swarm, teem

the island pullulated with tourists

pullulation

ˌpəl-yə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce pullulate (audio)

noun

Did you know?

To remember the history of "pullulate," think chickens. This may sound like odd advice, but it makes sense if you know that "pullulate" traces ultimately to the Latin noun pullus, which means not only "sprout," but also "young of an animal" and, specifically, "chick." "Pullus" is also an ancestor of "pullet" ("young hen"), "poult" (meaning "young fowl" and especially "young turkey"), and even "poultry" ("domesticated fowl"). At first "pullulate" referred to sprouting, budding, and breeding around the farm; only later did it gain its "swarm" sense.

pullulates

verb

present tense third-person singular of pullulate

as in bursts

to be copiously supplied a tough city neighborhood that has a reputation for pullulating with prostitutes and petty criminals

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

bursts
bulges
buzzes
hums
bristles
swarms
crawls
overflows
abounds
brims
teems
bustles

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

needs
wants
lacks

单词	pullulates
释义	pullulate verb pul·lu·late ˈpəl-yə-ˌlāt pullulated; pullulating intransitive verb 1 a : germinate, sprout b : to breed or produce freely the country's pullulating population 2 : swarm, teem the island pullulated with tourists pullulation ˌpəl-yə-ˈlā-shən noun Did you know? To remember the history of "pullulate," think chickens. This may sound like odd advice, but it makes sense if you know that "pullulate" traces ultimately to the Latin noun pullus, which means not only "sprout," but also "young of an animal" and, specifically, "chick." "Pullus" is also an ancestor of "pullet" ("young hen"), "poult" (meaning "young fowl" and especially "young turkey"), and even "poultry" ("domesticated fowl"). At first "pullulate" referred to sprouting, budding, and breeding around the farm; only later did it gain its "swarm" sense. Synonyms abound brim bristle bulge burst bustle buzz crawl hum overflow swarm teem See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences a tough city neighborhood that has a reputation for pullulating with prostitutes and petty criminals Word History Etymology Latin pullulatus, past participle of pullulare, from pullulus, diminutive of pullus chicken, sprout — more at foal First Known Use 1619, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Medical Definition pullulate intransitive verb pul·lu·late ˈpəl-yə-ˌlāt pullulated; pullulating 1 : to bud or sprout 2 : to breed or produce freely pullulates verb present tense third-person singular of pullulate as in bursts to be copiously supplied a tough city neighborhood that has a reputation for pullulating with prostitutes and petty criminals Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance bursts bulges buzzes hums bristles swarms crawls overflows abounds brims teems bustles Antonyms & Near Antonyms needs wants lacks
随便看	imaginal disk imaginal type imaginant imaginaries imaginarily imaginariness imaginarinesses imaginary imaginary number imaginary part imaginary unit imagination imaginational imaginations imaginative imaginatively imaginativeness imaginativenesses imaginator imagine imagine that imagined imaginer imaginers imagines

pullulate

verb

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Medical Definition

intransitive verb

verb