lactate
1 Americanverb (used without object)
noun
verb
noun
Etymology
Origin of lactate1
1885–90; < Latin lactātus, past participle of lactāre to suckle. See lact-, -ate 1
Origin of lactate2
First recorded in 1785–95; lact(ic acid) + -ate 2
Explanation
To lactate is to produce milk for feeding babies. All female mammals who give birth lactate. A mother cow has to lactate in order to feed her calves, and so that she can be milked by a farmer too. Mothers who nurse their babies lactate, whether they're humans, cats, goats, or skunks. Lactation, "the secretion of milk," came first, from the Late Latin lactationem, "a suckling," from the root lac, "milk."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Despite exercising longer and burning more energy overall, participants showed similar heart-rate and lactate levels at the end of both tests.
From Science Daily • May 9, 2026
It’s made by a Swedish company called Nomio, which says it has identified a compound in the vegetable that helps lower blood lactate levels during intense exercise.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
The study tracked the heart rate, oxygen uptake and blood lactate levels of professional drummers in rehearsals and during live shows, the outlet said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2025
Precisely when in prehistory mammals began to lactate, no one yet knows.
From Slate • Aug. 13, 2024
The liquid, however, contained butyrate of lime, a salt possessing properties similar to those of the lactate.
From The Harvard Classics Volume 38 Scientific Papers (Physiology, Medicine, Surgery, Geology) by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
