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acicate

Portuguese, noun/a.siˈka.t͡ʃi/

acicate is a Portuguese masculine noun meaning “spur (implement for prodding a horse)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). It is also a first/third-person singular present subjunctive of acicatar. The Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário) defines it as “tipo de espora que é uma ponta limitada por uma rodela para evitar que penetre nas carnes”.

What does acicate mean in English?

noun

  1. 1

    masculinespur (implement for prodding a horse)

  2. 2

    masculineincentive, spur (anything that inspires or motivates)

verb

  1. 1

    first/third-person singular present subjunctive

  2. 2

    third-person singular imperative

Source: English Wiktionary, Portuguese section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How Portuguese dictionaries define it

noun: 1. tipo de espora que é uma ponta limitada por uma rodela para evitar que penetre nas carnes 2. estímulo, incentivo

The definition in the Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário), in Portuguese.

Source: Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário), dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.

Forms of acicate

  • acicates plural

Source: English Wiktionary and Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).

How do you pronounce acicate?

  • Brazil /a.siˈka.t͡ʃi/
  • Portugal /ɐ.siˈka.tɨ/

Sources: English Wiktionary, Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026); recordings from Wikimedia Commons.