-ate

-ate¹

suffix forming nouns:

1》 denoting status or office: doctorate.

    ↘denoting a state or function: mandate.

2》 denoting a group: electorate.

3》 Chemistry denoting a salt or ester, especially of an acid with a corresponding name ending in -ic: chlorate.

4》 denoting a product of a chemical process: condensate.

Origin

from OFr. -at or L. -atus, -ata, -atum.

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-ate²

suffix

1》 forming adjectives and nouns such as associate.

2》 forming adjectives from Latin: caudate.

Origin

from L. -atus, -ata, -atum.

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-ate³

suffix forming verbs such as fascinate.

Origin

from -ate²; orig. on the basis of past participial adjectives ending in -atus, later extended to Latin verbs ending in -are and French verbs ending in -er.