Link Centre Dictionary

vellicate

vel·li·cate

UK/ˈvɛlɪkeɪt/ uncommon formal

verb

1.
2.

irritate as if by a nip, pinch, or tear

  • “smooth surfaces can vellicate the teeth”
  • “the pain is as if sharp points pinch your back”
Synonyms

Origin

From Latin vellicatus, past participle of vellicare (“to twitch”). Cognate with Spanish pellizcar (“to pinch”).

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

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