as in to feel
medical
to examine (part of the body) by touching it
The doctor palpated his ribs to see if there was any tenderness.
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Recent Examples of palpate
Expect a thorough exam, during which the provider will palpate (touch) the bicep, check for swelling or tenderness, and assess your range of motion and strength.
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Sarah Jividen, Health, 11 Oct. 2024
At your prenatal visits, your doctor or midwife will check your baby's position by palpating or feeling your belly to find the baby’s head, back, and bottom.
—Donna Murray, Rn, Parents, 25 July 2024
The lead veterinarian, Cristina Buitrago, knelt and palpated the hippo’s abdomen to feel for his testicles, located in the inguinal canal.
—Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 June 2024
Providers may need to use special techniques during manual cancer exams in people with obesity, like when palpating larger breasts or performing a rectal exam.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 19 Jan. 2024
Kuang’s narrative palpates the nuances of cultural performance and writerly ethics, finally concluding that all authors steal for material anyway.
—Zoe Hu, Washington Post, 12 May 2023
Interpreting Results To determine whether dry needling is an effective treatment for you, your healthcare provider or therapist will palpate your trigger points and ask you about your level of pain, movement, and stiffness following your session.
—Brittany Ferri, Verywell Health, 17 Apr. 2023
Determined faces, arms and hands plunged into a heap of apricots, one euro per kilo, palpating and rejecting them, stuffing them in bags, in a joyous frenzy of gathering.
—Annie Ernaux, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2023
Teachers and students forget that the ability to palpate is not the same as the ability to feel.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 22 Apr. 2016
Sarah Jividen, Health, 11 Oct. 2024
At your prenatal visits, your doctor or midwife will check your baby's position by palpating or feeling your belly to find the baby’s head, back, and bottom.
—Donna Murray, Rn, Parents, 25 July 2024
The lead veterinarian, Cristina Buitrago, knelt and palpated the hippo’s abdomen to feel for his testicles, located in the inguinal canal.
—Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 June 2024
Providers may need to use special techniques during manual cancer exams in people with obesity, like when palpating larger breasts or performing a rectal exam.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 19 Jan. 2024
Kuang’s narrative palpates the nuances of cultural performance and writerly ethics, finally concluding that all authors steal for material anyway.
—Zoe Hu, Washington Post, 12 May 2023
Interpreting Results To determine whether dry needling is an effective treatment for you, your healthcare provider or therapist will palpate your trigger points and ask you about your level of pain, movement, and stiffness following your session.
—Brittany Ferri, Verywell Health, 17 Apr. 2023
Determined faces, arms and hands plunged into a heap of apricots, one euro per kilo, palpating and rejecting them, stuffing them in bags, in a joyous frenzy of gathering.
—Annie Ernaux, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2023
Teachers and students forget that the ability to palpate is not the same as the ability to feel.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 22 Apr. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palpate
Verb
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There is probably a version of this story that centers on the grief and confusion Amy might feel about losing nearly a decade of her life.Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Jan. 2025
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Heavy snow could in turn make temperatures feel even colder, since fallen snow both absorbs and reflects the sun's rays.Rachel Treisman, NPR, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
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It was considered one of the major fires in Malibu but nothing that’s ever happened can begin to touch what’s going on right now.Ali MacGraw, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Jan. 2025
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Without your Administrator password, the thief can't touch your data.PCMAG, PCMAG, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The first clip the star shared was of his hair being partially shaved off from behind, then a video of the front of his forehead with a new, marked line indicating where the transplant would be.Bailey Richards, People.com, 12 Jan. 2025
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At the time, leading Chinese technology companies were still reeling from an 18-month government crackdown that shaved around $1 trillion off China's tech sector.Harry Booth, TIME, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The England midfielder took particular notice of one boy amid the scrum, who was clearly overwhelmed with excitement at the prospect of meeting Bellingham and kept patting the player on the shoulder, asking for his training top.Guillermo Rai, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
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Chopra smiled at the camera while patting Malti’s head.Escher Walcott, People.com, 9 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near palpate
Cite this Entry
“Palpate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palpate. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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