fornicate

¹ American  

[fawr-ni-keyt] / ˈfɔr nɪˌkeɪt /

verb (used without object)

fornicated, fornicating

1. to have sexual intercourse with someone to whom one is not married.

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fornicate ² American  

[fawr-ni-kit, -keyt] / ˈfɔr nɪ kɪt, -ˌkeɪt /

Also fornicated

adjective

Biology.

1. arched or vaulted in form.

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fornicate ¹ British  

/ ˈfɔːnɪˌkeɪt /

verb

1. (intr) to indulge in or commit fornication

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fornicate ² British  

/ -ˌkeɪt, ˈfɔːnɪkɪt /

adjective

1. biology arched or hoodlike in form

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Other Word Forms

• fornicator noun

Etymology

Origin of fornicate¹

First recorded in 1545–55; from Late Latin fornicātus “consorted,” past participle of fornicārī “to consort with prostitutes,” from Latin fornix “basement, brothel,” also “arch, vault”; fornicate ²

Origin of fornicate²

First recorded in 1820–30; from Latin fornicātus, from fornix “arch, vault,” also “basement, brothel”; fornicate ¹

Example Sentences

"Having an open-air drug den where people are relieving their bodily wastes, where people are fornicating, well that’s a real problem. Society has to step in and do something."

From Fox News

Indeed, while “Hello Kitty” and “Babar” have their spots on the shelves, so does a photography book of animals fornicating.

From New York Times

"They’re doing drugs, they’re fornicating, there are syringes. I have two kids. I don’t want to have to navigate stepping over syringes."

From Fox News

Sailors, pirates, cowboys, U.S. presidents from Reagan to Trump, even Walt Disney, that authoritarian inventor of antiseptic fairy tales, have materialized in various guises in his fornicating sculptures and gross-out films.

From Los Angeles Times

The arguments get ugly, but stop short of trading “fornicate thou”s.

From Washington Times