placate

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To calm; to bring peace to; to influence someone who was furious to the point that they become content or at least no longer irate.

   The gleam of the light on the paper placated his professional anger, and he wrote rapidly, the final dash of his signature curling the paper up in a triangular tear.

2. 2
   adj

   Placid, peaceful.

   When are you more placate and serene?

First attested in the late 17ᵗʰ century; borrowed from Latin plācātus, perfect passive participle of plācō (“appease, placate”, literally “smooth, smoothen”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more), ultimately thought to be from Proto-Indo-European *plāk- (“smooth, flat”), from *pele- (“broad, flat, plain”). Related to Latin placeō (“appease”), Old English flōh (“flat stone, chip”). More at please.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
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