pulverize

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

Also spelled pulverised

US /ˈpʌlvəˌraɪz/ UK /ˈpʌlvəraɪz/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to reduce to fine powder or dust; to crush thoroughly

The mill will pulverize the grain into flour.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to reduce to fine powder or... crush grind powder mill pound mashcomminute

Word family

Derived forms pulverizedpulverizerpulverization

Related forms powderpulverulentpollen

Simplified etymology

Pulverize, recorded from the late Middle Ages, comes from Latin pulvis, “dust,” the same source as powder, which reached English through Old French poudre.

Etymology

From Late Latin pulverizare ('to reduce to powder'), from Latin pulvis (stem pulver-) ('dust, powder').

pulverizare Latin pulvis Latin *pel- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# pulverize

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈpʌlvəˌraɪz/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpʌlvəraɪz/

## Meanings
1. to reduce to fine powder or dust; to crush thoroughly

## Examples
- The mill will pulverize the grain into flour.

## Synonyms
- crush
- grind
- powder
- mill
- pound
- mash
- comminute

## Derived Forms
- pulverized
- pulverizer
- pulverization

## Related Forms
- powder
- pulverulent
- pollen

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: pulverizare
- Root: pulvis
- Root: *pel-

## Etymology
From Late Latin pulverizare ('to reduce to powder'), from Latin pulvis (stem pulver-) ('dust, powder').

## AI Etymology
Pulverize is from Late Latin pulverizare ('to reduce to powder'), from Latin pulvis (stem pulver-) ('dust, powder'). Important recorded forms include pulverizare (Latin), pulvis (Latin), and *pel- (Proto-Indo-European). The modern sense follows that older lexical line closely. In current use it covers to reduce to fine powder or dust; to crush thoroughly. The wider family includes derived forms such as pulverized, pulverizer, and pulverization and related words such as powder, pulverulent, and pollen.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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