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ate¹

  • /eɪt/ US, UK
  • [eːt] Canada
  • /ɛt/

Sounds like ait, eight, eyot · Rhymes with -eɪt, -ɛt

Where it comes from

Probably a remodelling of earlier eat by analogy with other strong verbs such as break:†brake, give:gave, speak:†spake; compare the same process in rare Middle English at (“ate”) besides more usual et.

However, the pronunciation /ɛt/ likely continues Middle English et, from Old English ǣt, from Proto-West Germanic *āt, from Proto-Germanic *ēt, with shortening as in e.g. thread.

verb et

  1. past simple past of eat
  2. colloquial, nonstandard, participle, past past participle of eat I have a very good appetite, have ate some excellent melons, and they have served me up some quails, the fattest and tenderest I have ever ate.

ate²

  • [ˈʔɐ.te] Philippines

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Tagalog ate (“elder sister”), from Hokkien 阿姊 (á-ché, “eldest sister”).

noun ates · et

  1. Philippines An elder sister
  2. Philippines A respectful title or form of address for an older woman.

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