nictitate

(niktə tāt′)

intransitive verb nictitated, nictitating

to wink or blink rapidly, as birds and other animals with a nictitating membrane do

Origin: < ML nictitatus, pp. of nictitare, freq. < L nictare, to wink: see connive

Related Forms:

See nictitate in American Heritage Dictionary 4

intransitive verb nic·ti·tat·ed also nic·tat·ed, nic·ti·tat·ing also nic·tat·ing, nic·ti·tates also nic·tates
To wink. See Synonyms at blink.

Origin:

Origin: Medieval Latin nictitāre, nictitāt-

Origin: , frequentative of Latin nictāre

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Related Forms:

  • nicˌti·taˈtion noun

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