agitate

agitate
\ \ [16] Agitate is one of a host of English words descended ultimately from Latin agere (see AGENT). Among the many meanings of agere was ‘drive, move’, and a verb derived from it denoting repeated action, agitāre, hence meant ‘move to and fro’. This physical sense of shaking was present from the start in English agitate, but so was the more metaphorical ‘perturb’. The notion of political agitation does not emerge until the early 19th century, when the Marquis of Anglesey is quoted as saying to an Irish deputation: ‘If you really expect success, agitate, agitate, agitate!’ In this meaning, a derivative of Latin agitāre has entered English via Russian in agitproppolitical propaganda’ [20], in which agit is short for agitatsiyaagitation’.
\ \ Cf.ACT, AGENT

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Agitate — Ag i*tate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Agitated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Agitating}.] [L. agitatus, p. p. of agitare to put in motion, fr. agere to move: cf. F. agiter. See {Act}, {Agent}.] 1. To move with a violent, irregular action; as, the wind agitates… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • agitate — [v1] shake physically beat, churn, concuss, convulse, disturb, rock, rouse, stir, toss; concept 152 Ant. calm, lull, quiet, soothe, tranquilize agitate [v2] disturb, trouble someone alarm, argue, arouse, bug*, bug up*, burn up*, confuse, craze*,… …   New thesaurus

  • agitate — ► VERB 1) make troubled or nervous. 2) campaign to arouse public concern about an issue. 3) stir or disturb (a liquid) briskly. DERIVATIVES agitation noun. ORIGIN Latin agitare agitate, drive …   English terms dictionary

  • agitate — [aj′i tāt΄] vt. agitated, agitating [< L agitatus, pp. of agitare, to put in motion < agere, ACT1] 1. a) to move violently b) to stir up or shake up 2. to excite or disturb the feelings of …   English World dictionary

  • agitate — I (activate) verb actuate, arouse, coax, electrify, energize, excite, exhort, ferment, foment, goad, impel, incite, induce, inflame, influence, inspire, inspirit, instigate, irritate, kindle, persuade, prompt, provoke, roil, rouse, spur,… …   Law dictionary

  • agitate — (v.) 1580s, to disturb, from L. agitatus, pp. of agitare to put in constant motion, drive onward, impel, frequentative of agere to move, drive (see AGITATION (Cf. agitation)). Literal sense of move to and fro, shake is from 1590s. Related:… …   Etymology dictionary

  • agitate — 1 *shake, rock, convulse Analogous words: *stir, rouse, arouse: *move, actuate, drive, impel Antonyms: quiet, lull, still 2 perturb, *discompose, upset, fluster, flurry, disturb, disquiet Analogous words: * …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • agitate — [16] Agitate is one of a host of English words descended ultimately from Latin agere (see AGENT). Among the many meanings of agere was ‘drive, move’, and a verb derived from it denoting repeated action, agitāre, hence meant ‘move to and fro’.… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • agitate — [c]/ˈædʒəteɪt / (say ajuhtayt) verb (agitated, agitating) –verb (t) 1. to move or force into irregular action; shake or move: *A sigh of relief, the merest of zephyrs, coming from thirty listeners, was just sufficient to agitate the buttercups.… …  

  • agitate — v. 1) to agitate strongly 2) (D; intr.) to agitate against; for (they were agitating for reform) * * * [ ædʒɪteɪt] for (they were agitateing for reform) (D; intr.) to agitate against to agitate strongly …   Combinatory dictionary

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