gravitate

Etymology

Back-formation from gravitation.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹævɪteit/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: grav‧i‧tate

Verb

gravitate (third-person singular simple present gravitates, present participle gravitating, simple past and past participle gravitated)

1. (intransitive, astrophysics) To move under the force of gravity.
   • 1712, Sir Richard Blackmore, Creation; a philosophical poem in seven books, book II:

     Theſe, who have nature's ſteps with care purſued,
     That matter is with ac‍tive force endued,
     That all its parts magnetic power exert,
     And to each other gravitate, aſſert.

2. (intransitive, figuratively) To tend or drift towards someone or something, as though being pulled by gravity.

   Children naturally gravitate to such a big, friendly man.

   • 1776, Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations:

     The natural price, therefore, is, as it were, the central price, to which the prices of all commodities are continually gravitating.

   • 1923, Elbert Hubbard, "J.B. Runs Things":

     Responsibilities gravitate to the person who can shoulder them.

References

• gravitate in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• gravitate at OneLook Dictionary Search

Verb

gravitate

1. second-person plural present indicative of gravitare
2. second-person plural imperative of gravitare
3. feminine plural of gravitato

Anagrams

• rigettava

Noun

gravitāte

1. ablative singular of gravitās

Etymology

grav +‎ -itate. From French gravité.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɡra.viˈta.te]

Noun

gravitate f (uncountable)

1. gravity, seriousness, graveness