Cerebrate
/ˈsɛr.əˌbreɪt/noun
To think, reason, or use the mind in a deliberate way.
Did you know?Its root is the Latin cerebrum, meaning “brain,” the same source behind words like cerebral and cerebellum, so this is one of those rare English verbs built straight from the body’s command center.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
cerebrāre
“to use the brain; to think”
Latin
Latin
cerebrum
“brain”
Proto-Italic
PI
keres-ro-
“brain, head-mass”
Old French
French
cérébral
“pertaining to the brain”
16th-17th Century
English
cerebrate
“to use the brain; to think”
Explore more surprising origins