brachiate

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

/ adjective ˈbreɪ ki ɪt, -ˌeɪt, ˈbræk i-; verb ˈbreɪ kiˌeɪt, ˈbræk i- /

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adjective

Botany. having widely spreading branches in alternate pairs.

Zoology. having arms.

verb (used without object), bra·chi·at·ed, bra·chi·at·ing.

to progress by means of brachiation.

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Origin of brachiate

First recorded in 1825–35, brachiate is from the Latin word brāchiātus with branches like arms. See brachi-, -ate¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for brachiate

brachiate

adjective (ˈbreɪkɪɪt, -ˌeɪt, ˈbræk-)

botany having widely divergent paired branches

verb (ˈbreɪkɪˌeɪt, ˈbræk-)

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

Derived forms of brachiate

brachiation, noun

Word Origin for brachiate

C19: from Latin bracchiātus with armlike branches

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