pullulate means to multiply rapidly. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 78 out of 100.
pullulate is pronounced /ˈpʌl.jʊ.leɪt/.
Why “pullulate” is a great word
PULLULATE — [Verb] To sprout, bud, or germinate; or, by extension, to breed or multiply with rapid, organic profusion. From Latin pullulātus, past participle of pullulāre ("to sprout forth"), from pullulus ("a young animal, a sprout"), a diminutive of pullus ("young animal, chick"). First attested in English in the 1610s. Unlike "germinate," which specifies the singular birth of a seed, or "teem," which suggests a seething, mobile throng, "pullulate" carries the primal, fecund energy of life forcing its way into being. It is the green fuzz on a rain-soaked log, the yeast visibly frothing in its jar, and the way a whispered rumor can, overnight, pullulate through the corridors of an institution—a quiet testament to the world’s relentless, damp insistence on more.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin pullulātus, perfect passive participle of pullulō (“sprout forth”), from pullulus (“a young animal, a sprout”), diminutive of pullus.
verb
- To multiply rapidly.
- To germinate.
- To teem with; to be filled (with).“I must say the whole of Oxford has become most peculiar suddenly. Last night it was pullulating with women.”