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radiate

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radiate¹

  • /ˈɹeɪdieɪt/

Where it comes from

Learned borrowing from Latin radiātus, perfect passive participle of radiō (“to radiate, furnish with spokes, give out rays, radiate, shine”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from radius (“a spoke, ray”).

verb radiates · radiating · radiated

  1. intransitive To extend, be sent or spread out from a center like radii. Crewe North Motive Power Depot is to be modernised completely. This includes the provision of a new coaling plant, ash handling plant, and two new locomotive sheds of the latest roundhouse type, each with 32 roads radiating from a 70-ft. dia. turntable.
  2. transitive To emit rays or waves. The stove radiates heat.
  3. intransitive To come out or proceed in rays or waves. The heat radiates from a stove.
  4. transitive To illuminate.
  5. transitive To expose to ionizing radiation, such as by radiography.

    Similar: irradiate

  6. figuratively, intransitive, transitive, with with To manifest in a glowing manner. Her face radiated joy. Her face radiated with joy.
  7. figuratively, intransitive To manifest itself in a glowing manner. Joy radiated from her face.
  8. intransitive To spread into new habitats, migrate.
  9. obsolete, transitive To broadcast by radio. Programmes marked thus will be radiated by Droitwich, but not by London and North National transmitters.

radiate²

  • /ˈɹeɪdieɪt/
  • /ˈɹeɪdi.ət/

Where it comes from

Learned borrowing from Latin radiātus (see Etymology 1 and -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more).

adjective more radiate · most radiate

  1. Radiating from a center; having rays or parts diverging from a center; radiated. a radiate crystal
  2. Surrounded by rays, such as the head of a saint in a religious picture; (heraldry) radiant. […] and (2) the radiate or Eastern crown, usually five rays being shown. The see of Ely bears the apocryphal coat of St. Ethelreda: gules, three open crowns or. Azure, three open crowns or, are the arms of[…]
  3. Having parts radiating from the center, like the petals in many flowers.
  4. Consisting of a disc in which the florets are tubular.
  5. Having radial symmetry, like a sea star.
  6. Belonging to the Radiata.

radiate³

Where it comes from

From a substantivation of the above adjective through the associated taxon's name (Radiata), see -ate (noun-forming suffix).

noun radiates

  1. One of the Radiata.

Translations

Every language

verb to extend from a center

Italianoirradiare

verb to emit rays or waves

Españolirradiar
Ελληνικάακτινοβολώ aktinovoló
Românăiradia
עבריתקָרַן qarán

verb to illuminate

Românăilumina

verb to expose to ionizing radiation

Deutschstrahlen
Ελληνικάακτινοβολώ aktinovoló

verb to manifest in a glowing manner

Ελληνικάακτινοβολώ aktinovoló

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MLA

"radiate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/radiate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

radiate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/radiate

Chicago

"radiate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/radiate.

BibTeX
@misc{radiate_2026,
  title = {radiate},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/radiate},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}