palpate

[ pal-peyt ]

See synonyms for: palpate palpation on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),pal·pat·ed, pal·pat·ing.

to examine by touch, especially for the purpose of diagnosing disease or illness.

Origin of palpate

First recorded in 1840–50; from Latin palpātus, past participle of palpāre “to stroke, touch”; see palpus, -ate¹

Other words from palpate

pal·pa·tion [pal-pey-shuhn] /ˌpælˈpeɪ ʃən/ noun
pal·pa·to·ry [pal-puh-tawr-ee], /ˈpæl pəˌtɔr i/, adjective

Words Nearby palpate

Other definitions for palpate (2 of 2)

palpate²

[ pal-peyt ]

adjectiveZoology.

having a palpus or palpi.

Origin of palpate

First recorded in 1855–60; palp(us) + -ate¹

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

How to use palpate in a sentence

Before we necessarily had breasts, we were instructed to palpate the diseased, curvaceous effigy to feel for lumps.
The Great Mammogram Debate | Liesl Schillinger | November 18, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
The swelling is usually sessile, but may be pedunculated; it is usually possible to palpate the edges of the gap in the bones.
Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities--Head--Neck. Sixth Edition. | Alexander Miles
It is better then to palpate for the brachial as it lies beneath the inner edge of the biceps muscle.
Arteriosclerosis and Hypertension: | Louis Marshall Warfield

British Dictionary definitions for palpate (1 of 2)

palpate¹

/ (ˈpælpeɪt) /

verb

(tr) med to examine (an area of the body) by the sense of touch and pressure

Origin of palpate

C19: from Latin palpāre to stroke

Derived forms of palpate

palpation, noun

British Dictionary definitions for palpate (2 of 2)

palpate²

/ (ˈpælpeɪt) /

adjective

zoology of, relating to, or possessing a palp or palps

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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