agitate

English

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.

Etymology

From Latin agitatus, past participle of agitare (“to put in motion”), from agere (“to move”). Compare with French agiter. See act, agent.

Pronunciation

(RP) IPA: /ˈæ.dʒɪ.teɪt/ SAMPA: /"a.dZI.teIt/ (US) IPA: /ˈæ.ʤɪ.tet/

Verb

agitate (third-person singular simple present agitates, present participle agitating, simple past and past participle agitated)

1. To move with a violent, irregular action; as, the wind agitates the sea; to agitate water in a vessel.

   ``Winds . . . agitate the air. --Cowper.

2. (rare) To move or actuate. --Thomson.
3. To stir up; to disturb or excite; to perturb; as, he was greatly agitated.

   The mind of man is agitated by various passions. --Johnson.

4. To discuss with great earnestness; to debate; as, a controversy hotly agitated. --Boyle.
5. To revolve in the mind, or view in all its aspects; to contrive busily; to devise; to plot; as, politicians agitate desperate designs.

Synonyms

• move, shake, excite, rouse, disturb, distract, revolve, discuss, debate, canvass

Related terms

• agitation
• agitator

Translations

to move with a violent, irregular action

Bulgarian: разбърквам (bg) Italian: agitare (it), scuotere (it), sbattere (it)

Spanish: agitar (es)

to move or actuate

Bulgarian: раздвижвам (bg)

to stir up, to disturb or excite

Bulgarian: вълнувам (bg), възбуждам (bg) Italian: agitare (it), turbare (it)

Persian: ‌آشفتن (fa), پریشان کردن (fa) Spanish: perturbar (es)

to discuss with great earnestness; to debate

to revolve in the mind, or view in all its aspects

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

German: aufwühlen

External links

• agitate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• agitate in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• agitate at OneLook Dictionary Search

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Italian

Adjective

agitate f.

1. feminine form of agitato

Anagrams

• gattaie

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Latin

Verb

agitāte

1. first-person plural present active imperative of agitō