copulate

/ˈkɒpjuleɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɑːpjuleɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkä-pyə-ˌlāt/ (ame, mw)

copulate — verb

  • copulatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • copulateshe / she / it
  • copulatedpast simple
  • copulating-ing form

1. of people or animals, to join with a partner for sexual intercourse

1.動詞不及物C2
釋義

of people or animals, to join with a partner for sexual intercourse

例句

Most frogs copulate in shallow water after the first spring rain.

pattern: copulate in + place

The biologist saw two seals copulate on the beach at dawn.

formal scientific reporting

同義詞
  • mate

    more common for animals and less clinical in general descriptions

  • have sex

    the normal everyday expression for people

  • breed

    often focuses on producing young, not simply on the act itself

文法句型

copulate with a partner

copulate in water

copulate during the breeding season

用法筆記

Usually used in biology, medicine, or formal writing. In everyday English, people normally say 'have sex', and for animals many speakers prefer 'mate'.

常見錯誤

❌The snakes copulated each other in the box.
✅The snakes copulated in the box.
💡'copulate' is usually intransitive, so it does not normally take a direct object.
❌They copulated a baby last year.
✅They had a baby last year after having sex.
💡'copulate' means to have sex, not to produce a child as an object.
❌We usually say the couple copulated after dinner.
✅We usually say the couple had sex after dinner.
💡for people, 'copulate' sounds very formal or clinical in ordinary conversation.