fornicate

¹

[ fawr-ni-keyt ]

verb (used without object)

, for·ni·cat·ed, for·ni·cat·ing.

1. to have sexual intercourse with someone to whom one is not married.

fornicate

²

[ fawr-ni-kit, -keyt ]

adjective

, Biology.

1. arched or vaulted in form.

fornicate

¹

/ ˈfɔːnɪˌkeɪt /

verb

1. intr to indulge in or commit fornication

fornicate

²

/ -ˌkeɪt; ˈfɔːnɪkɪt /

adjective

1. biology arched or hoodlike in form

Derived Forms

• ˈforniˌcator, noun

Other Words From

• for·ni·ca·tor noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fornicate¹

First recorded in 1545–55; from Late Latin fornicātus “consorted,” past participle of fornicārī “to consort with prostitutes,” from Latin fornix “basement, brothel,” also “arch, vault”; fornicate ²

Origin of fornicate²

First recorded in 1820–30; from Latin fornicātus, from fornix “arch, vault,” also “basement, brothel”; fornicate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of fornicate¹

C16: from Late Latin fornicārī , from Latin fornix vault, brothel situated therein

Origin of fornicate²

C19: from Latin fornicātus arched, from fornix vault

Example Sentences

From bodily function issues and kid shenanigans to videos of terrible tattoos and people looking to fornicate with anything that has a pulse, fans serve as their own laugh track.

From Los Angeles Times

She pauses, before adding: "There is a lot of sex. In one episode they have every member of the cast coupled and fornicating for the next 20 minutes and all of that."

From BBC

They’ve come for a fly, flop and fornicate holiday, one of those excursions with sandy beaches, cheap hotels, nonstop beats and crowds of fit people who look and talk just like them.

From New York Times

After the 10 seconds or so of silence had ended and the public address announcer had said “thank you,” one fan yelled out an obscene slogan that might be paraphrased as “fornicate Hamas!”

From Washington Times

By 1969, he was drawing “Joe Blow,” featuring a sweet, smiling all-American family — who fornicate with each other while shouting phrases like “I never realized how much fun you could have with your children!”

From New York Times