agitate

agitate
[[t]æ̱ʤɪteɪt[/t]]
agitates, agitating, agitated
1) VERB If people agitate for something, they protest or take part in political activity in order to get it.

[V for n] The women who worked in these mills had begun to agitate for better conditions. [Also V, V for n to-inf]

Derived words:
agitation [[t]æ̱ʤɪte͟ɪʃ(ə)n[/t]] N-UNCOUNT oft N for/against/over n

At least seventy students were injured in the continuing agitation against the decision.

2) VERB If you agitate something, you shake it so that it moves about. [FORMAL]

[V n] All you need to do is gently agitate the water with a finger or paintbrush...

Its molecules can be agitated by microwave energy.

Derived words:
agitation N-UNCOUNT

Temperature is a measure of the agitation of the molecules of matter.

3) VERB If something agitates you, it worries you and makes you unable to think clearly or calmly.

[V n] Carl and Martin may inherit their grandmother's possessions when she dies. The thought agitates her.

4) See also agitation

English dictionary. 2008.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат
Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Agitate — Ag i*tate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Agitated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Agitating}.] [L. agitatus, p. p. of agitare to put in motion, fr. agere to move: cf. F. agiter. See {Act}, {Agent}.] 1. To move with a violent, irregular action; as, the wind agitates… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • agitate — [v1] shake physically beat, churn, concuss, convulse, disturb, rock, rouse, stir, toss; concept 152 Ant. calm, lull, quiet, soothe, tranquilize agitate [v2] disturb, trouble someone alarm, argue, arouse, bug*, bug up*, burn up*, confuse, craze*,… …   New thesaurus

  • agitate — ► VERB 1) make troubled or nervous. 2) campaign to arouse public concern about an issue. 3) stir or disturb (a liquid) briskly. DERIVATIVES agitation noun. ORIGIN Latin agitare agitate, drive …   English terms dictionary

  • agitate — [aj′i tāt΄] vt. agitated, agitating [< L agitatus, pp. of agitare, to put in motion < agere, ACT1] 1. a) to move violently b) to stir up or shake up 2. to excite or disturb the feelings of …   English World dictionary

  • agitate — I (activate) verb actuate, arouse, coax, electrify, energize, excite, exhort, ferment, foment, goad, impel, incite, induce, inflame, influence, inspire, inspirit, instigate, irritate, kindle, persuade, prompt, provoke, roil, rouse, spur,… …   Law dictionary

  • agitate — (v.) 1580s, to disturb, from L. agitatus, pp. of agitare to put in constant motion, drive onward, impel, frequentative of agere to move, drive (see AGITATION (Cf. agitation)). Literal sense of move to and fro, shake is from 1590s. Related:… …   Etymology dictionary

  • agitate — 1 *shake, rock, convulse Analogous words: *stir, rouse, arouse: *move, actuate, drive, impel Antonyms: quiet, lull, still 2 perturb, *discompose, upset, fluster, flurry, disturb, disquiet Analogous words: * …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • agitate — [16] Agitate is one of a host of English words descended ultimately from Latin agere (see AGENT). Among the many meanings of agere was ‘drive, move’, and a verb derived from it denoting repeated action, agitāre, hence meant ‘move to and fro’.… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • agitate — [c]/ˈædʒəteɪt / (say ajuhtayt) verb (agitated, agitating) –verb (t) 1. to move or force into irregular action; shake or move: *A sigh of relief, the merest of zephyrs, coming from thirty listeners, was just sufficient to agitate the buttercups.… …  

  • agitate — [16] Agitate is one of a host of English words descended ultimately from Latin agere (see AGENT). Among the many meanings of agere was ‘drive, move’, and a verb derived from it denoting repeated action, agitāre, hence meant ‘move to and fro’.… …   Word origins

  • agitate — v. 1) to agitate strongly 2) (D; intr.) to agitate against; for (they were agitating for reform) * * * [ ædʒɪteɪt] for (they were agitateing for reform) (D; intr.) to agitate against to agitate strongly …   Combinatory dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”