copulate

verb

cop·​u·​late ˈkä-pyə-ˌlāt 

copulated; copulating

intransitive verb

: to engage in sexual intercourse

copulation

ˌkä-pyə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

copulatory

ˈkä-pyə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē 

adjective

Synonyms

• breed
• mate
• sleep

Examples of copulate in a Sentence

Some animals have complex mating rituals before they copulate.

the time of year when deer in the wild are likely to copulate

Recent Examples on the Web

Its first appearance in American print resulted from an 1846 Missouri court case in which a man stood accused of copulating with a horse. —Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024

Advertisement All of the male apes at the sanctuary receive vasectomies, but that does not preclude them from copulating. —Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2024

Paired with the orchid’s unique color and shape, these adaptations lure male wasps from afar and inspire them to try to copulate with the flower, covering the wasps with pollen in the process. —Liz Lindqwister, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 July 2024

Now, for the first time ever, citizen scientists have photographed two humpback whales copulating. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin copulatus, past participle of copulare to join, from copula — see copula

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

copulate

verb

cop·​u·​late ˈkäp-yə-ˌlāt 

copulated; copulating

: to engage in sexual intercourse

copulation

ˌkäp-yə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

copulatory

ˈkäp-yə-lə-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

adjective

Medical Definition

copulate

intransitive verb

cop·​u·​late ˈkäp-yə-ˌlāt 

copulated; copulating

1

: to engage in sexual intercourse

2

of gametes : to fuse permanently compare conjugate sense 1

copulation

ˌkäp-yə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

copulatory

ˈkäp-yə-lə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˌtȯr- 

adjective