Synonyms

bombinate

American

[bom-buh-neyt] / ˈbɒm bəˌneɪt /

verb (used without object)

bombinated, bombinating

to make a humming or buzzing noise.

bombinate British

/ ˈbɒmbɪˌneɪt /

verb

Also (rare): bombilate. literary (intr) to make a buzzing noise

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

bombination

noun

Etymology

Origin of bombinate

First recorded in 1875–80; from New Latin bombinātus, past participle of bombināre, apparently coined by François Rabelais on the basis of Latin bombilāre “to hum, buzz,” from Greek bombyliázein, derivative of bómbos; see bomb

Explanation

Things that bombinate hum or buzz. A novice beekeeper might complain, "When the bees all bombinate like that, it makes me nervous!" The sound of chatter in a coffee shop might bombinate around you as you try to concentrate on your book, and your dad might bombinate as he tidies the kitchen, humming and murmuring to himself. You bombinate when you produce a buzz of noise or activity. The word has a Latin root, bombinare, a variation on bombitare, "to hum or buzz," which comes from bombus, "a deep, hollow sound."

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023