constipate
[ kon-stuh-peyt ]
/ ˈkɒn stəˌpeɪt /
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
1375–1425; late Middle English (past participle) <Latin constīpātus (past participle of constīpāre), equivalent to con-con- + stīpā- (stem of stīpāre to crowd, press) + -tus past participle suffix
OTHER WORDS FROM constipate
un·con·sti·pat·ed, adjectiveWords nearby constipate
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for constipate
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
Medical definitions for constipate
constipate
[ kŏn′stə-pāt′ ]
v.
To cause constipation in the bowels.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.