ate
[ eyt; British et ]
/ eɪt; British ɛt /
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verb
simple past tense of eat.
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Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ate
ate , eightOther definitions for ate (2 of 6)
Ate
[ ey-tee, ah-tee ]
/ ˈeɪ ti, ˈɑ ti /
noun
an ancient Greek goddess personifying the fatal blindness or recklessness that produces crime and the divine punishment that follows it.
Origin of Ate
<Greek, special use of átē reckless impulse, ruin, akin to aáein to mislead, harm
Other definitions for ate (3 of 6)
ATE
equipment that makes a series of tests automatically.
Origin of ATE
a(utomatic)t(est)e(quipment)
Other definitions for ate (4 of 6)
-ate1
a suffix occurring in loanwords from Latin, its English distribution paralleling that of Latin. The form originated as a suffix added to a-stem verbs to form adjectives (separate). The resulting form could also be used independently as a noun (advocate) and came to be used as a stem on which a verb could be formed (separate; advocate; agitate). In English the use as a verbal suffix has been extended to stems of non-Latin origin: calibrate; acierate.
Origin of -ate
1<Latin -ātus (masculine), -āta (feminine), -ātum (neuter), equivalent to -ā- thematic vowel + -tus, -ta, -tum past participle suffix
Other definitions for ate (5 of 6)
-ate2
a specialization of -ate1, used to indicate a salt of an acid ending in -ic, added to a form of the stem of the element or group: nitrate; sulfate.
Compare -ite1.
Origin of -ate
2Probably originally in New Latin phrases, as plumbum acetātum salt produced by the action of acetic acid on lead
Other definitions for ate (6 of 6)
-ate3
a suffix occurring originally in nouns borrowed from Latin, and in English coinages from Latin bases, that denote offices or functions (consulate; triumvirate; pontificate), as well as institutions or collective bodies (electorate; senate); sometimes extended to denote a person who exercises such a function (magistrate; potentate), an associated place (consulate), or a period of office or rule (protectorate). Joined to stems of any origin, ate3 signifies the office, term of office, or territory of a ruler or official (caliphate; khanate; shogunate).
Origin of -ate
3<Latin -ātus (genitive -ātūs), generalized from v. derivatives, as augurātus office of an augur (augurā(re) to foretell by augury + -tus suffix of v. action), construed as derivative of auguraugur1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ate in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for ate (1 of 4)
British Dictionary definitions for ate (2 of 4)
Ate
/ (ˈeɪtɪ, ˈɑːtɪ) /
noun
Greek myth a goddess who makes men blind so that they will blunder into guilty acts
Word Origin for Ate
C16: via Latin from Greek atē a rash impulse
British Dictionary definitions for ate (3 of 4)
-ate1
suffix
(forming adjectives) possessing; having the appearance or characteristics offortunate; palmate; Latinate
(forming nouns) a chemical compound, esp a salt or ester of an acidcarbonate; stearate
(forming nouns) the product of a processcondensate
forming verbs from nouns and adjectiveshyphenate; rusticate
Word Origin for -ate
from Latin -ātus, past participial ending of verbs ending in -āre
British Dictionary definitions for ate (4 of 4)
-ate2
suffix forming nouns
denoting office, rank, or a group having a certain functionepiscopate; electorate
Word Origin for -ate
from Latin -ātus, suffix (fourth declension) of collective nouns
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for ate
-ate
A suffix used to form the name of a salt or ester of an acid whose name ends in -ic, such as acetate, a salt or ester of acetic acid. Such salts or esters have one oxygen atom more than corresponding salts or esters with names ending in -ite. For example, a sulfate is a salt of sulfuric acid and contains the group SO4, while a sulfite contains SO3. Compare -ite.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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