Home › Words › N › nictatenictate/nɪkˈteɪt/nictate means to wink or blink; (of certain animals) to close the nictating membrane.nictate is pronounced /nɪkˈteɪt/.EtymologyFirst attested in 1755; borrowed from Latin nictātus, perfect passive participle of nictō (“to wink, blink”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).verbTo wink or blink; (of certain animals) to close the nictating membrane.Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).Words closest in meaningBy meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.nictitate 88% match — to wink or blink vs nictate →nictation 87% match — An act or instance of winking or blinking; a wink, a blink. vs nictate →nictitation 83% match — Winking, blinking vs nictate →nictitating 81% match — winking, blinking vs nictate →bursalis 60% match — A muscle moving the nictitating membrane, as in birds. vs nictate →winking 60% match — The act of someone who winks. vs nictate →palpebration 59% match — winking of the eye vs nictate →connictation 58% match — The act of winking. vs nictate →