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Locate Common

Origin: Latin suffix -ate

Locate has 5 different meanings across 1 category:

Verb

Definitions
Verb
1

discover the location of; determine the place of; find by searching or examining

"Can you locate your cousins in the Midwest?"

"My search turned up nothing"

2

determine or indicate the place, site, or limits of, as if by an instrument or by a survey

"Our sense of sight enables us to locate objects in space"

"Locate the boundaries of the property"

3

assign a location to

"The company located some of their agents in Los Angeles"

4

take up residence and become established

"The immigrants settled in the Midwest"

5

To place; to set in a particular spot or position.

"The librarian carefully located each book on its designated shelf before closing up for the day."

In plain English: To locate something means to find exactly where it is.

"We need to locate the missing keys before we can leave the house."

Usage: Use locate to mean finding something's position rather than placing it there. If you are putting an object in a specific spot, use place or put instead.

Example Sentences
"We need to locate the missing keys before we can leave the house." verb
"I need to locate my keys before leaving for work." verb
"The treasure hunter spent years trying to locate the lost ship." verb
"Can you help me locate the nearest gas station?" verb
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
find determine station
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
unearth pinpoint acquire radiolocate map place base colonize resettle

Origin

The word locate comes from the Latin verb locare, meaning "to place," which is derived from locus for "place." It entered English through the suffix -ate, carrying forward its original sense of putting something in a specific spot.

Rhyming Words
ate bate late gate kate date wate cate rate nate oate sate tate jate hate mate fate yate agate skate
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