Word
lactate
Phoneticslac·tate, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɫækteɪt/
UK/lˈækteɪt/
Definitions
01to produce milk
B2 · Upper Intermediate Medicine Technical
v. to produce milk from the body to feed a baby.
v. to secrete or produce milk from mammary glands. This use is intransitive and describes a biological process in female mammals.
“Most mammals begin to lactate immediately after they give birth to their young.”
“The hormone prolactin plays a critical role in signaling the mammary glands to lactate following the delivery of the offspring.”
Synonyms
02chemical in the body
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Science Technical · Academic
n. a chemical your body makes during hard exercise that can make your muscles feel tired.
n. a salt or ester of lactic acid; specifically, the conjugate base of lactic acid produced during anaerobic metabolism.
“Athletes often monitor their lactate levels to see how hard their muscles are working.”
“During high-intensity interval training, the accumulation of lactate in the bloodstream serves as a primary indicator of the anaerobic threshold.”
03chemical compound
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science Technical
n. any chemical compound that is a salt or ester of lactic acid.
n. any salt or ester derived from lactic acid, used frequently in industrial chemistry and food preservation.
“Sodium lactate is sometimes added to food to keep it moist and safe to eat.”
“The researcher synthesized a specific ethyl lactate to serve as a biodegradable solvent for the new industrial cleaning process.”
Real-World Examples
“Men attempting to lactate to feed a baby is child abuse.” Etymology
Borrowed from Latin lactātus, perfect passive participle of lactō (“to suckle, give suck, contain milk”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from lac (“milk”), cognate to Ancient Greek γάλα (gála, “milk”).
From lactic acid + -ate (“salt or ester”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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