lactate
UK[lækˈteɪt]US[ˈlæk.teɪt]
v
(of a female mammal) to produce milk in the mammary glands and secrete it.
n
a salt or ester of lactic acid.
Morpheme Breakdown
lact
ate
lact
milk
ate
verb-forming suffix / chemical salt suffix
Etymology
the word "lactate" is built directly from the latin root for milk, "lac" (genitive "lactis"). the core concept of milk is preserved in both of its modern meanings. the verb sense, "to secrete milk," logically extends the root's meaning through the action-denoting suffix. the noun sense, referring to a salt derived from milk acid, showcases a scientific application where the root identifies the source material. thus, from its pastoral latin origin, the term has evolved to describe both a biological process in mammals and a specific biochemical compound.
Analysis
Structure: lact (milk) + ate (verb-forming suffix / chemical salt suffix)
"lact" is from latin "lac, lact-" meaning 'milk'. "ate" is a suffix from latin "-atus", used to form verbs meaning 'to act with' or nouns denoting a salt or ester.
Examples
after giving birth, the mother will begin to lactate to feed her newborn.
sodium lactate is sometimes used as a preservative in food products.
the doctor explained the factors that can affect a woman's ability to lactate.