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constipate

[ kon-stuh-peyt ]
/ ˈkɒn stəˌpeɪt /
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See synonyms for: constipate / constipated on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object), con·sti·pat·ed, con·sti·pat·ing.
to cause constipation in; make costive.
Informal. to cause to become slow-moving or immobilized; restrict the action or effectiveness of: Bureaucratic red tape can constipate the operations of any government agency.
Obsolete. to crowd or pack closely together.
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Origin of constipate

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English past participle constipat, from Latin constīpātus, past participle of constīpāre, equivalent to con- intensive prefix + Latin stīpāre “to crowd, press”); see origin at con-, stiff

OTHER WORDS FROM constipate

con·sti·pat·ed, adjective

Words nearby constipate

constellate, constellation, conster, consternate, consternation, constipate, constipated, constipation, constituency, constituent, Constituent Assembly
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to constipate

fester, hibernate, languish, stall, curb, muzzle, repress, silence, smother, squelch, strangle, suffocate, suppress, decay, decline, idle, putrefy, rot, rust, stand

How to use constipate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for constipate

constipate
/ (ˈkɒnstɪˌpeɪt) /
verb
(tr) to cause constipation in

Word Origin for constipate

C16: from Latin constīpāre to press closely together, from stīpāre to crowd together
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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