Library / English Dictionary

GRAVITATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Move due to the pull of gravitation

Example:

The stars gravitate towards each other

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "gravitate" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Derivation:

gravitation (movement downward resulting from gravitational attraction)

gravitation ((physics) the force of attraction between all masses in the universe; especially the attraction of the earth's mass for bodies near its surface)

gravitative (of or relating to or caused by gravitation)

gravity ((physics) the force of attraction between all masses in the universe; especially the attraction of the earth's mass for bodies near its surface)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Be attracted to

Example:

Boys gravitate towards girls at that age

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "gravitate" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

gravitation (a figurative movement toward some attraction)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Move toward

Example:

The conversation gravitated towards politics

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "gravitate" is one way to...):

be given; incline; lean; run; tend (have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Derivation:

gravitation (a figurative movement toward some attraction)

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