Equilibrate
/ˈiː.kwɪ.lɪ.breɪt/noun
To bring or come into balance or equilibrium.
Did you know?Equilibrate comes from the same Latin balance-root as equilibrium, but its deeper ancestor is libra, the “balance scale” that also gave us the zodiac sign Libra.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leigʰ-
“to be light, weak, or flexible”
Latin
Latin
libra
“a balance, scales, or a unit of weight”
Late Latin
Latin
aequilibrare
“to balance equally”
French
Old French
équilibrer
“to balance, make even”
16th–17th Century
English
equilibrate
“to bring into balance”
Explore more surprising origins