pomate

/ˈpoʊmət/

//ˈpoʊmət// noun

"pomate" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Synonym of ointment, particularly thick waxy ointments scented with fruit used to beautify the skin or hair.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pomate · pomate · English

pomate · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" 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 pomate
PropertyValue
Headwordpomate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpoʊmət/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “pomate” in English

pomateranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

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

Rare enough to double-check

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

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for pomate, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Medieval Latin pomatum (“cider, ointment”) either directly or via slightly earlier English pomatum, from Latin pōmum (“fruit, apple”) + -ātum (“-ate: forming nouns”). Doublet of pomatum, pomade, and pomace. The correct English form is pomate, spelled P-O-M-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Synonym of ointment, particularly thick waxy ointments scented with fruit used to beautify the skin or hair.
  2. 2
    Synonym of pomade, a kind of thick waxy hair product used as a styling gel.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Shee with no Pomate paints her Face...
  2. Patient he sits, while Master Puff, with pomate, tongs, and powder-pluff... gives each hair its proper station...

Etymology

From Medieval Latin pomatum (“cider, ointment”) either directly or via slightly earlier English pomatum, from Latin pōmum (“fruit, apple”) + -ātum (“-ate: forming nouns”). Doublet of pomatum, pomade, and pomace.

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 "pomate"?
"pomate" is spelled P-O-M-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpoʊmət/.
What does "pomate" mean?
As a noun, "pomate" means: Synonym of ointment, particularly thick waxy ointments scented with fruit used to beautify the skin or hair.
How do you pronounce "pomate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pomate" is /ˈpoʊmət/. 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 "pomate"?
From Medieval Latin pomatum (“cider, ointment”) either directly or via slightly earlier English pomatum, from Latin pōmum (“fruit, apple”) + -ātum (“-ate: forming nouns”). Doublet of pomatum, pomade, and pomace. 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