verb
Meaning 1
To multiply rapidly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
pullulate
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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UK, US: /ˈpʌl.jʊ.leɪt/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
verb
Meaning 2
To germinate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To teem with; to be filled (with).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
breed freely and abundantly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: breed, multiply
verb
Meaning 5
become abundant; increase rapidly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: increase
verb
Meaning 6
produce buds, branches, or germinate
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the potatoes sprouted
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: shoot, spud, germinate, bourgeon, burgeon forth, sprout
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: grow
verb
Meaning 7
move in large numbers
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- people were pouring out of the theater
- beggars pullulated in the plaza
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: pour, swarm, stream, teem
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: crowd, crowd together
Narrower terms: spill over, spill out, pour out
verb
Meaning 8
be teeming, be abuzz
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- The garden was swarming with bees
- The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen
- her mind pullulated with worries
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: teem, swarm
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: hum, buzz, seethe
Narrower terms: crawl
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin pullulātus, perfect passive participle of pullulō (“sprout forth”), from pullulus (“a young animal, a sprout”), diminutive of pullus.
Across languages
Translations
17 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: гъмжа (gǎmža) — to multiply rapidly
- Bulgarian: размножавам се (razmnožavam se) — to multiply rapidly
- Polish: mnożyć się — to multiply rapidly
- Polish: plenić się — to multiply rapidly
- Russian: размножаться (razmnožatʹsja) — to multiply rapidly
- Bulgarian: покарвам (pokarvam) — to germinate
- Bulgarian: пониквам (ponikvam) — to germinate
- Dutch: kiemen — to germinate
- Dutch: zich ontwikkelen — to germinate
- German: keimen — to germinate
- German: sprießen — to germinate
- Polish: kiełkować — to germinate
- Polish: zakiełkować — to germinate
- Russian: прорастать (prorastatʹ) — to germinate
- Bulgarian: гъмжа (gǎmža) — to teem; to be filled (with)
- Dutch: krioelen — to teem; to be filled (with)
- Russian: кишеть (kišetʹ) — to teem; to be filled (with)