pullulate

verb

pul·​lu·​late ˈpəl-yə-ˌlāt 

pullulated; pullulating

intransitive verb

1

a

: germinate, sprout

b

: to breed or produce freely

the country's pullulating population

2

: swarm, teem

the island pullulated with tourists

pullulation

ˌpəl-yə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

Did you know?

To remember the history of "pullulate," think chickens. This may sound like odd advice, but it makes sense if you know that "pullulate" traces ultimately to the Latin noun pullus, which means not only "sprout," but also "young of an animal" and, specifically, "chick." "Pullus" is also an ancestor of "pullet" ("young hen"), "poult" (meaning "young fowl" and especially "young turkey"), and even "poultry" ("domesticated fowl"). At first "pullulate" referred to sprouting, budding, and breeding around the farm; only later did it gain its "swarm" sense.

Synonyms

• abound
• brim
• bristle
• bulge
• burst
• bustle
• buzz
• crawl
• hum
• overflow
• swarm
• teem

Examples of pullulate in a Sentence

a tough city neighborhood that has a reputation for pullulating with prostitutes and petty criminals

Word History

Etymology

Latin pullulatus, past participle of pullulare, from pullulus, diminutive of pullus chicken, sprout — more at foal

First Known Use

1619, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Medical Definition

pullulate

intransitive verb

pul·​lu·​late ˈpəl-yə-ˌlāt 

pullulated; pullulating

1

: to bud or sprout

2

: to breed or produce freely

pullulation

ˌpəl-yə-ˈlā-shən 

noun