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constipate

cons·ti·pate

UK/ˈkɒnstɪˌpeɪt/ US/ˈkɑnstʌˌpeɪt/ uncommon obsolete

verb

1.

impede with a clog or as if with a clog

  • “The market is being clogged by these operations”
  • “My mind is constipated today”
Synonyms
2.

cause to be constipated

  • “These foods tend to constipate you”
Synonyms

Origin

The adjective is first attested circa 1425, in Middle English, the verb in 1541; inherited from Middle English constipat(e) (“constipated”), borrowed Medieval Latin cōnstīpātus (“constipated”) (or through its Old French equivalent constipé), perfect passive participle of Medieval Latin cōnstīpō (“to cause constipation, to constipate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from Classical Latin cōnstīpō (“to crowd or press tightly together”) (whence obsoleted sense 2 and 3), itself from con- + stīpō (“to press, cram”). Cognate with Middle English constipen (“to constipate”) and doublet of costive; related to stiff.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.