Calcitrate
/ˈkæl.sɪ.treɪt/noun
To kick, especially backward or violently; to resist stubbornly.
Did you know?Calcitrate shares its Latin ancestry with “recalcitrant,” whose original image was an animal kicking backward against restraint.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kel-
“To strike, cut, or push; a proposed ancient root behind several heel- and striking-related Latin forms.”
Classical Latin
Latin
calx, calcis
“Heel; the back part of the foot used for kicking.”
Classical Latin
Latin
calcitrare
“To kick, especially backward, from calx, “heel.””
Medieval Latin
Latin
calcitrare
“To kick or resist stubbornly.”
16th Century
English
calcitrate
“To kick or offer resistance; an uncommon learned borrowing from Latin.”
Modern English
English
calcitrate
“To kick or resist, usually in deliberately archaic or literary usage.”