What does "digitate" mean?
To point out as with one's finger, indicate.
Digitate
/ˈdɪdʒɪtət/ adj, verb
adj, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To point out as with one's finger, indicate.
- Grammar: digitate is listed as adj, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: fingerlike, clawed, dentate, digital.
- Useful contrasts: avoid, ignore, nonfingerlike.
- Usage evidence: The supine resting on Water onely by retention of Air[…]doth digitate a reason.
How to use "digitate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "digitate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "digitate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "digitate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "digitate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "digitate" is acting as adj, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "fingerlike" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "digitate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To point out as with one's finger, indicate. obsolete
"The supine resting on Water onely by retention of Air[…]doth digitate a reason."
- 2 To spread out from a common point in a finger-like manner.
"But what is most worthy of notice is, that the greater number of muscular fibres arising from the coracoid and radio-ulnar bones form a pectoral muscle, superficial to the other fibres of the great lateral, and digitating with them along the side of the fish opposite the extremities of the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth ribs."
Adjective
- 1 Having digits, fingers or things shaped like fingers; fingerlike not-comparable
- 2 Having parts that spread out from a common point in a finger-like manner. not-comparable
Adjective
- 1 resembling a finger wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"The supine resting on Water onely by retention of Air[…]doth digitate a reason."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "digitate"?
Common synonyms include: fingerlike, clawed, dentate, digital, digitiform, digitlike.
How do you use "digitate" in a sentence?
The supine resting on Water onely by retention of Air[…]doth digitate a reason.
How do you pronounce "digitate"?
Pronounced /ˈdɪdʒɪtət/.
Etymology
The adjective is first attested in 1661, the verb in 1657; the adjective was borrowed from Latin digitātus (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), the verb from digitātus, perfect passive participle of digitō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)).