English [ edit ]

To nictate.

Etymology [ edit ]

From (the participle stem of) Latin nictāre (“to wink, blink”).

Pronunciation [ edit ]

( UK , US ) IPA (key) : /nɪkˈteɪt/ Audio (UK)

IPA :

Verb [ edit ]

nictate (third-person singular simple present nictates, present participle nictating, simple past and past participle nictated)

To wink or blink; (of certain animals) to close the nictating membrane. 1909 , Frederick Rolfe, Don Renato , Chatto & Windus 1963: Indignantly interrogated as to whether he himself believed or exercised this abhominable and perabsurd superstition, he very gravely nictated his dexter eyelid. And I nictated mine. And we both laughed.

, Frederick Rolfe, , Chatto & Windus 1963: 1955 , Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita : Gently I pressed my quivering sting along her rolling salty eyeball. ‘Goody-goody,’ she said nictating .

, Vladimir Nabokov, : 2011, Perry & Wharton, Molecular and Physiological Basis of Nematode Survival, p. 113: In the absence of stimulation, C. elegans dauers are lethargic and generally immobile but nictate vigorously when disturbed.

Translations [ edit ]

to wink or blink Finnish: räpyttää (momentane) räpäyttää (fi) (frequentative) räpytellä (fi) Russian: мигать (ru) ( migatʹ ) , морга́ть (ru) ( morgátʹ )

Anagrams [ edit ]

Latin [ edit ]

Participle [ edit ]

nictāte