coruscate

/ˈkɒɹəskeɪt/

//ˈkɒɹəskeɪt// verb

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

The verdict

“coruscate” 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 give off light; to reflect in flashes; to sparkle.

Corpus desk

Index EN-coruscate · coruscate · English

coruscate · 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 coruscate
PropertyValue
Headwordcoruscate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈkɒɹəskeɪt/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “coruscate” in English

coruscatesits 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

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

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for coruscate, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin coruscātus, perfect passive participle of coruscō (“to flash, gleam”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). The correct English form is coruscate, spelled C-O-R-U-S-C-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To give off light; to reflect in flashes; to sparkle.
  2. 2
    To exhibit brilliant technique or style.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The He [Death himself] clapped spurs to his steed and it sprang into the air, sparks coruscating from its hooves.
  2. For truth and tenderness do more / Than coruscating metaphor.

Etymology

From Latin coruscātus, perfect passive participle of coruscō (“to flash, gleam”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

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 "coruscate"?
"coruscate" is spelled C-O-R-U-S-C-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒɹəskeɪt/.
What does "coruscate" mean?
As a verb, "coruscate" means: To give off light; to reflect in flashes; to sparkle.
How do you pronounce "coruscate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "coruscate" is /ˈkɒɹəskeɪt/. 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 "coruscate"?
From Latin coruscātus, perfect passive participle of coruscō (“to flash, gleam”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). 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