lactate

1 of 2

noun

lac·​tate ˈlak-ˌtāt How to pronounce lactate (audio)
: a salt or ester of lactic acid

lactate

2 of 2

verb

lactated; lactating

intransitive verb

: to secrete milk

Examples of lactate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Tempo runs are slightly more intense efforts than steady-state runs, and they’re run right at the lactate threshold. Greg McMillan, Outside Online, 25 Jan. 2022 As are deeper metrics like lactate threshold/FTP, which simply don’t exist on Apple Watches (or any other wearables). Corey Gaskin, Ars Technica, 25 Mar. 2023 Dutch scientists encapsulated Bacillus bacteria, which can survive for decades without food or water, in biodegradable plastic with calcium lactate as a food source. Chris Holt, Discover Magazine, 23 Nov. 2021 A little more processing resulted in potassium lactate, which is added to a variety of foods as a preservative. Sophie Bushwick, Scientific American, 26 Aug. 2022 Proponents of the Norwegian training model that’s currently in vogue might argue that a lactate meter fits the bill. Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 22 Mar. 2023 Calcium lactate is a mineral supplement used to treat or prevent calcium deficiency. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 4 Dec. 2022 On top of that, most studies used magnesium lactate or magnesium oxide supplements, which may also minimize symptoms of anxiety, according to the 2017 review. Andi Breitowich, Women's Health, 3 Sep. 2023 Endurance athletes know that hard exercise triggers a rise in lactate in their muscles, but that’s just one example among many: by one count, at least 196 metabolites rise or fall after a workout. Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 13 Jan. 2023
Verb
What Is Post-Weaning Depression? Post-weaning depression is a term used to describe mental health symptoms that can occur after a lactating person stops breastfeeding. Zara Hanawalt, Parents, 27 Feb. 2024 For women between the ages of 19 and 50 who are not pregnant or lactating, the RDA is 18 milligrams per day. Casey Seiden, Parents, 26 Feb. 2024 It's recommended that heat be applied to the animals' drinking water to keep it ice-free and keep the animals drinking it, especially for lactating animals. Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 19 Jan. 2024 While not the same as the workplace, not having space for lactating people in sports is also an equity issue. Torie Bosch, STAT, 13 Jan. 2024 These collars work by emitting synthetic pheromones that mimic those produced by lactating mother dogs, creating a sense of comfort for anxious canines. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 5 Aug. 2023 But in a separate study of lactating women taking zuranolone, Deligiannidis says the amounts of drug in the breast milk after five days of treatment were very low, although more research on the effects of even this exposure will be needed. Alice Park, Time, 5 Aug. 2023 Ease of Use The primary purpose of a nursing tank is to make feeding easier for you, as the lactating parent. Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Bsn, Parents, 19 Oct. 2023 Such risks include future developmental problems for babies and milk production issues for lactating parents. Amanda Gardner, Health, 31 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lactate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin lactatus, past participle of lactare, from lact-, lac

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1794, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lactate was circa 1794

Dictionary Entries Near lactate

Cite this Entry

“Lactate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lactate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lactate

verb
lac·​tate
ˈlak-ˌtāt
lactated; lactating
: to give off milk
lactation
lak-ˈtā-shən
noun

Medical Definition

lactate

1 of 2 noun
lac·​tate ˈlak-ˌtāt How to pronounce lactate (audio)
: a salt or ester of lactic acid

lactate

2 of 2 intransitive verb
lactated; lactating
: to secrete milk

More from Merriam-Webster on lactate

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