brachiate

[ adjective brey-kee-it, -eyt, brak-ee-; verb brey-kee-eyt, brak-ee- ]

adjective

1. Botany. having widely spreading branches in alternate pairs.
2. Zoology. having arms.

verb (used without object)

, bra·chi·at·ed, bra·chi·at·ing.

1. to progress by means of brachiation.

brachiate

adjective

1. botany having widely divergent paired branches

verb

1. intr (of some arboreal apes and monkeys) to swing by the arms from one hold to the next

Derived Forms

• ˌbrachiˈation, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of brachiate¹

First recorded in 1825–35, brachiate is from the Latin word brāchiātus with branches like arms. See brachi-, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of brachiate¹

C19: from Latin bracchiātus with armlike branches

Example Sentences

Brachiate, with opposite branches at right angles to each other.

From Project Gutenberg