corrugate

/ˈkɒɹ.ʊˌɡeɪt/

//ˈkɒɹ.ʊˌɡeɪt// verb

"corrugate" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“corrugate” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To wrinkle (the skin).

Corpus desk

Index EN-corrugate · corrugate · English

corrugate · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for corrugate
PropertyValue
Headwordcorrugate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈkɒɹ.ʊˌɡeɪt/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “corrugate” in English

corrugatesits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

corrugate is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈkɒɹ.ʊˌɡeɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

corrugate has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: The verb is first attested in 1620, the adjective in 1745; borrowed from Latin corrūgātus, perfect passive participle of Latin corrūgō (“to wrinkle, corrugate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from con- + rūga (“wrinkle… The correct English form is corrugate, spelled C-O-R-R-U-G-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To wrinkle (the skin).
  2. 2
    To fold into parallel folds, grooves or ridges.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how corrugate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The latter we have given, extend their Influences to the Head and whole nervous System, at the same time that they warm, comfort, and strengthen the Fibres of the Stomach, and dissipate Flatulencies, corrugate the Membranes, and promote Digestion: […]
  2. Galvanised rust-resistant weatherproof corrugated sheet roof

Etymology

The verb is first attested in 1620, the adjective in 1745; borrowed from Latin corrūgātus, perfect passive participle of Latin corrūgō (“to wrinkle, corrugate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from con- + rūga (“wrinkle, crease”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). Cognate with Spanish acurrucar (“to snuggle; to curl up due to cold; to huddle”).

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "corrugate"?
"corrugate" is spelled C-O-R-R-U-G-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒɹ.ʊˌɡeɪt/.
What does "corrugate" mean?
As a verb, "corrugate" means: To wrinkle (the skin).
How do you pronounce "corrugate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "corrugate" is /ˈkɒɹ.ʊˌɡeɪt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "corrugate"?
The verb is first attested in 1620, the adjective in 1745; borrowed from Latin corrūgātus, perfect passive participle of Latin corrūgō (“to wrinkle, corrugate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from con- + rūga... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list