Triturate
/ˈtrɪtʃ.ə.reɪt/noun
To grind, crush, or pulverize something into small particles.
Did you know?Triturate comes from Latin trītūrāre, from trītus, the past participle of terere, meaning “to rub” or “to wear away,” the same root behind several words for physical friction and repeated force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ter-
“to rub, rub away, wear down”
Latin
Latin
terere
“to rub; to wear by rubbing; to grind”
Latin
Latin
trītus
“rubbed; worn down”
Latin
Latin
triturāre
“to thresh; to grind, crush”
Late Middle English
English
triturate
“to grind or pulverize finely”
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