Word of the Day

: October 19, 2008

conglobate

verb kahn-GLOH-bayt

What It Means

: to form into a round compact mass

conglobate in Context

Jack alternately conglobated and flattened the bit of clay as he talked.

Did You Know?

"Conglobate" descends from the Latin verb "conglobare," which in turn comes from the prefix "con-" (meaning "with” or “ together") and "globus" (meaning "globe"). "Conglobare" also means "to form into a ball," and in the 16th century it gave us the word "conglobe," of the same meaning. A century after "conglobe" first appeared in print, its cousin "conglobate" arrived on the scene. You may be wondering if the word "glob" is a relative too. "Glob" isn't linked directly to "conglobate," but it does have a possible link to "globe." Etymologists think that "glob" might have originated as a blend of "globe" and "blob."