copulate

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/ˈkɑːpjəleɪt/
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Formal wording for sexual intercourse or animal mating, with rare technical and historical senses of reproductive-cell fusion and joining things together.
Practice using copulate in conversation until it feels natural

Examples

  • If the gametes fail to copulate, development cannot begin.
  • An older grammar says that a conjunction copulates two clauses.
  • The process ends when the gametes copulate into one cell.
  • The antiquarian note says the symbol copulates two propositions.
  • The editor glossed copulate as connect in the margin.

Similar words

have sex
unite
connect
fuse
bind
couple
conjugate
link
combine
couple

Meanings

Have sexual intercourse

verb
biology
formal
To have sex or mate, especially in scientific, medical, or zoological writing.

Usage

Use copulate for precise formal writing about sexual intercourse or animal mating, and use simpler wording in ordinary conversation.

Examples

  • The field team watched the frogs copulate after heavy rain.
  • Many insects copulate only after elaborate courtship displays.
  • The animals did not copulate in captivity.
  • The female allowed the male to copulate during estrus.
  • The study recorded how often the primates copulated.
  • The clinical report used copulate instead of a slang term.

Common mistakes

The verb is made transitive or stretched to any kind of reproduction.
IncorrectCorrect
The zoo tried to copulate the pandas. The zoo tried to get the pandas to mate.
The flowers copulated when pollen moved between them. The flowers were pollinated when pollen moved between them.
The pair copulated a child. The pair conceived a child.

Similar words

mate
have sex
breed
pair
couple
make love

Fuse as gametes

verb
medicine
technical
To fuse permanently, used of reproductive cells in technical medical or biological contexts.

Usage

Use copulate for gamete fusion only in technical contexts where the subject is clearly reproductive cells.

Examples

  • Under the microscope, the gametes copulated and formed a zygote.
  • The report describes how two reproductive cells copulate during fertilization.
  • If the gametes fail to copulate, development cannot begin.
  • The old biology text says the cells copulate after contact.
  • The nucleus changes soon after the gametes copulate.
  • The process ends when the gametes copulate into one cell.

Common mistakes

The cellular sense is treated as ordinary animal mating or made transitive.
IncorrectCorrect
The sperm copulated the egg. The sperm fused with the egg.
The gametes copulated into a fetus. The gametes fused to form a zygote.
The fish copulated their gametes into the water. The fish released gametes into the water.

Similar words

fuse
unite
conjugate
merge
combine

Join together

verb
historical
archaic
To join, link, or bind things together, a historical use now mostly replaced by words such as join or connect.

Usage

Use copulate in this sense only when reading or discussing older texts, since the modern verb is normally sexual.

Examples

  • An older grammar says that a conjunction copulates two clauses.
  • The manuscript uses copulate to mean unite, not to describe sex.
  • In the sermon, charity copulates the community into one body.
  • The antiquarian note says the symbol copulates two propositions.
  • Older medical writers sometimes said that vessels copulate when they join.
  • The editor glossed copulate as connect in the margin.

Common mistakes

The old joining sense is used as if it were normal modern English.
IncorrectCorrect
The cable copulates the two devices. The cable connects the two devices.
The merger copulated the companies. The merger joined the companies.
The sauce copulates sweet and sour flavors. The sauce combines sweet and sour flavors.

Similar words

join
unite
link
connect
couple
bind

Usage

Choose copulate for formal, medical, or zoological contexts, and reserve the joining senses for technical biology or historical discussion.

Common mistakes

The object is added after the verb, as in copulate the animals, or the old joining sense is used where modern English expects connect or combine.

Etymology

From Latin copulare, meaning to join, couple, or bind together, from copula, a link or tie. The joining sense entered English first, and the sexual sense is recorded from the seventeenth century.

FAQ

What does copulate mean?

Copulate usually means to have sexual intercourse or to mate, especially in formal, medical, or zoological writing.

Is copulate formal?

Yes. Copulate is formal and often technical, while ordinary speech usually uses plainer words such as have sex or mate.

Can copulate be used for animals?

Yes. Copulate is common in scientific writing about animals and their mating behavior.

Does copulate mean join together?

It can mean join or link together in older English, but that sense is archaic and can be misunderstood today.

What does copulate mean for gametes?

In technical medical use, gametes can copulate when they fuse permanently during fertilization.

What is the past tense of copulate?

The regular past tense and past participle are copulated.

What are synonyms for copulate?

In the main sense, synonyms include mate, have sex, breed, pair, couple, and make love.

Comments & contributions

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Contribution
Tawny Iguana
Jul 6
for frogs and toads, the word I kept seeing in herp papers is amplexus. its the clasping part while eggs and sperm get released, so copulate can be a bit too blunt there
1
Reply
Perky Heron
Jul 8
same for horseshoe crabs btw, amplexus isnt only a frog word
0
Contribution
Cobalt Shrew
Jun 27
grammar bit that trips people up: if you name the partner, it is usually copulate with. The mantis copulated with the female, not copulated the female. I would also not use copulate each other, sounds like a bad translation
3
Reply
Rapid Meerkat
Jun 28
yep, my bio prof used to mark that one. mate with is the safer verb if youre unsure
1
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