What is the origin of 'sleep tight'?
Read moreOne of the mysteries of the English language finally explained.
suffix
1Forming nouns denoting status or office.
‘doctorate’‘episcopate’- 1.1 Forming nouns denoting a state or function.‘curate’‘mandate’
- 1.1 Forming nouns denoting a state or function.
2Forming nouns denoting a group.
‘electorate’3Chemistry
Forming nouns denoting a salt or ester, especially of an acid with a corresponding name ending in -ic.‘chlorate’‘nitrate’4Forming nouns denoting a product of a chemical process.
‘condensate’‘filtrate’
Origin
From Old French -at or Latin -atus, -ata, -atum.
Pronunciation
-ate
/ət/suffix
1Forming adjectives and nouns such as associate, duplicate, separate.
2Forming adjectives from Latin.
‘caudate’
Origin
From Latin -atus, -ata, -atum.
Pronunciation
-ate
/ət/suffix
Forming verbs such as fascinate, hyphenate.
Origin
From -ate; originally forms were based on existing past participial adjectives ending in -atus, but were later extended to any Latin verb ending in -are and to French verbs ending in -er.
