ejaculate

Definitions

e- (out) + jacul- (from L. jaculari 'to throw a javelin,' from jaculum 'javelin/dart,' a derivative of jacere 'to throw') + -ate (verb suffix) = 'to throw out forcibly.' The same jaculum gives us projectile. Originally the verb meant any sudden ejection or exclamation; the biological sense became dominant in modern English.

Why It Means This

Ejaculate preserves the most violent throwing image in the ject family: the Latin jaculum was literally a hunter's or soldier's javelin. Originally the verb covered any sudden expulsion — Victorian novels frequently have characters who «ejaculate» a remark in surprise. In modern English, the biological sense has overtaken the verbal one almost completely; using «ejaculate» for «exclaim» now sounds awkwardly comic. The noun is medical/biological.

Common Collocations

• 1.ejaculate suddenly突然喊出
• 2.unable to ejaculate无法射精

Example Sentences

• 1.

  In a Dickens novel, a character might ejaculate "Good gracious!" in surprise.

• 2.

  The biology textbook explains how mammals ejaculate.