| \ab-LAK-teyt\ | verb
1. to wean. | | Quotes | His style, however, has found imitators; especially of late years, since the rage commenced of disfiguring and debasing our language by innovation. Such writers, instead of brittle, would say fragile; instead of fruitfulness, feracity; and humectate, steril, desiderate, ablactate, indigitate, etc. instead of moisten, barren, desire (or wish for), wean, point out, etc.
-- James Beattie, The Works of James Beattie, LL.D., Vol. IV, 1809 | | Origin | | Ablactate entered English in the 1700s and combines the Latin prefix ab- meaning "from" or "away," and lac meaning "milk." | |
