sublimate
Psychology. to divert the energy of (a sexual or other biological impulse) from its immediate goal to one of a more acceptable social, moral, or aesthetic nature or use.
Chemistry.
to sublime (a solid substance); extract by this process.
to refine or purify (a substance).
to make nobler or purer: To read about great men sublimates ambition.
to become sublimated; undergo sublimation.
Chemistry. the crystals, deposit, or material obtained when a substance is sublimated.
purified or exalted; sublimated.
Origin of sublimate
1Other words from sublimate
- sub·li·ma·ble [suhb-luh-muh-buhl], /ˈsʌb lə mə bəl/, adjective
- sub·li·ma·ble·ness, noun
- sub·li·ma·tion, noun
- de·sub·li·mate, verb (used with object), de·sub·li·mat·ed, de·sub·li·mat·ing.
- re·sub·li·mate, verb (used with object), re·sub·li·mat·ed, re·sub·li·mat·ing.
- su·per·sub·li·mat·ed, adjective
- un·sub·li·mat·ed, adjective
Words that may be confused with sublimate
- sublimate , sublime
Words Nearby sublimate
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use sublimate in a sentence
In Wignot’s dreamily eloquent film, she presents us with a portrait of a man who seemingly sublimated his entire being into the creation of his art, documenting Ailey’s magnificent career with a wealth of archival footage and interviews.
Dance icon gets luminous treatment in ‘Ailey’ doc | John Paul King | July 28, 2021 | Washington BladeLike a pet particularly prone to shedding, Swift-Tuttle leaves behind tiny bits of itself as it ambles along through the solar system, particularly when it’s near our star, and its solid, icy surface heats up, sublimating into a gas.
The Perseid meteor shower is about to begin—here’s how to catch it | empire | July 13, 2021 | Popular-ScienceIt’s one of only five moons in the solar system known to be geologically active, as evidenced by its active geysers that spew sublimated nitrogen gas.
The best places to find extraterrestrial life in our solar system, ranked | Neel V. Patel | June 16, 2021 | MIT Technology ReviewStill, dry ice sublimates, or turns directly into carbon dioxide gas.
The ‘last mile’ for COVID-19 vaccines could be the biggest challenge yet | Tina Hesman Saey | December 3, 2020 | Science NewsIn fact, I think it’s quite not, but I’m probably doing a whole lot of sublimating without knowing it.
It dissolves mercury, and with it forms corrosive sublimate.
I compounded this philter of corrosive sublimate and herbs that have an effect upon the skin.
Brother Jacques (Novels of Paul de Kock, Volume XVII) | Charles Paul de KockMademoiselle Huet saw that the box contained sublimate of mercury in powder and in paste.
Bentley's Miscellany, Volume II | VariousCorrosive sublimate, saturated aqueous solution, for five minutes.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique | John William Henry EyreOf these, Lang's corrosive sublimate solution is decidedly the best all-round "fixative."
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique | John William Henry Eyre
British Dictionary definitions for sublimate
/ (ˈsʌblɪˌmeɪt) /
psychol to direct the energy of (a primitive impulse, esp a sexual one) into activities that are considered to be socially more acceptable
(tr) to make purer; refine
chem the material obtained when a substance is sublimed
exalted or purified
Origin of sublimate
1Derived forms of sublimate
- sublimable (ˈsʌbləməbəl), adjective
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
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