stridulate

(strij′ə lāt′)

to make a shrill grating or chirping sound by rubbing certain body parts together, as certain insects do

Origin: < ModL stridulatus, pp. of stridulare < L stridulus: see stridulous

Related Forms:

See stridulate in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb strid·u·lat·ed, strid·u·lat·ing, strid·u·lates

verb, intransitive

To produce a shrill grating, chirping, or hissing sound by rubbing body parts together, as certain insects do.

verb, transitive

To produce by rubbing body parts together: “The crickets stridulated their everlasting monotonous meaningful note” (John Updike).

Origin:

Origin: From Latin strīdulus, stridulous; see stridulous

Related Forms:

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