Deliriate

/dɪˈlɪriˌeɪt/ verb

Definition

To make delirious; to cause someone to become mentally confused or to speak incoherently.

Etymology

From Latin 'delirare' with the English suffix '-ate' forming a transitive verb, a back-formation or variant used in medical contexts to indicate the action of inducing delirium.

Kelly Says

This verb is extremely rare, suggesting that by the time English needed precise language for 'causing delirium,' it was more efficient to use phrases like 'to drive mad' rather than create new Latin-based medical verbs.

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