activate

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: ac=ti=vate

CIDE DICTIONARY

activate, v. t. 

 To make active.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

activate, v.tr.
1 make active; bring into action.
2 Chem. cause reaction in; excite (a substance, molecules, etc.).
3 Physics make radioactive.

Idiom

activated carbon carbon, esp. charcoal, treated to increase its adsorptive power. activated sludge aerated sewage containing aerobic bacteria.

Derivative

activation n. activator n.

THESAURUS

activate

accelerate, actuate, animate, arouse, atomize, awaken, bombard, charge, cleave, contaminate, cross-bombard, energize, fission, galvanize, get going, impel, infect, initiate, irradiate, mobilize, motivate, move, nucleize, poison, prompt, radiumize, rally, reactivate, recharge, remilitarize, rouse, set going, set in motion, smash the atom, start, stimulate, stir, switch on, trigger, turn on, wake, waken