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circumvallate

Pronunciation: /ˌsəːkəmˈvaleɪt/

Definition of circumvallate

verb

[with object] literary
  • surround with or as if with a rampart:the walls were circumvallated with a ditch

adjective

  • 1 literary surrounded or surrounding as if by a rampart:circumvallate mountains
  • 2 Anatomy denoting certain papillae near the back of the tongue, surrounded by taste receptors.

Origin:

mid 17th century (as an adjective): from Latin circumvallat- 'surrounded with a rampart', from the verb circumvallare, from circum 'around' + vallare, from vallum 'rampart'. The verb dates from the early 19th century

circumvallate in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of circumvallate in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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