levitate

levitat-e Wrtdtng: "leichtere; erleichter; (leichter machen, infolge dessen oder) schweben, erheben"; die Schwere wegnehmen oder dieser entgegenwirken.

• an sich müßte es levitare sein, levitare wurde jedoch erst später von ital. levitazione abgeleitet.First attested in 1673; borrowed from New Latin levitātus, perfect passive participle of levitō (“to levitate; to have one's motion directed upward, as opposed to the downward motion induced by gravity”) (first attested c. 1670), modeled on gravitō (“to gravitate”) (← Latin gravis (“heavy”)), from levis (“light”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Pronunciation IPA^(key): /ˈlɛvɪteɪt/

Verb

levitate (third-person singular simple present levitates, present participle levitating, simple past and past participle levitated)

1. (transitive) To cause to rise in the air and float, as if in defiance of external forces such as gravity.

   The magician levitated the woman.

2. (intransitive) To be suspended in the air, as if in defiance of external forces like gravity.

   The guru claimed that he could levitate.

Derived terms

• levitation
• levitator