What does guttate mean?
Guttate is a formal English verb describing the movement of a liquid in discrete drops. It can be used transitively, meaning that something causes a fluid to be released in drops, or intransitively, meaning that the fluid itself flows in drops. The word is also used adjectivally for something shaped like a drop. Its unusual character gives it a specialized, descriptive quality: it is more likely to appear in scientific writing, careful description, or figurative language than in ordinary conversation. Although relatively uncommon, guttate is useful because it distinguishes the formation or discharge of distinct droplets from a general flow, seep, or continuous stream. Its meaning becomes especially evocative in descriptions of plant fluids, oils, resins, and other substances that emerge bead by bead. The word ultimately derives from the Latin word for a drop, making it a direct descendant of a highly ordinary physical object transformed into a precise piece of technical vocabulary.
To cause a liquid or other fluid substance to be discharged in drops; also, intransitively, to flow in drops.
"The nozzle guttated tiny beads of resin onto the mold."
The transitive and intransitive constructions are both formal and relatively uncommon.
Shaped like a drop; drop-shaped.
"The geologist referred to the dark, guttate spots in the rock."
This use is uncommon and chiefly occurs in specialist or descriptive writing.
Guttate preserves a tiny clue to its ancestry: Latin gutta means “drop,” so the word evokes liquid falling drop by drop.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does guttate come from?
English guttate comes from Latin guttare, meaning “to drop,” while the adjectival form is related to Latin guttatus, meaning “drop-shaped.” Both derive from Latin gutta, “a drop.” The same root is reflected in English guttation and appears through French in words such as gutter and gout.
Related word forms
How guttate is actually used
The word is formal, uncommon, and chiefly encountered in technical, scientific, or descriptive contexts rather than everyday speech.
Easily confused with guttate
Guttate relates to issuing or being shaped like drops, whereas guttural relates to the throat or a throaty sound.