-ate

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Having: nervate.
2. n. Characterized by: Latinate.
3. n. Resembling: lyrate.
4. n. One that is characterized by: laminate.
5. n. Rank; office: rabbinate.
6. n. To act upon in a specified manner: acidulate.
7. n. A derivative of a specified chemical compound or element: aluminate.
8. n. A salt or ester of a specified acid whose name ends in -ic: acetate.

Wiktionary

1. n. in adjectives having the specified thing
2. n. in adjectives characterized by the specified thing
3. n. in adjectives resembling the specified thing
4. n. in nouns a thing characterised by the specified thing
5. n. in nouns a rank or office
6. n. chemistry, in nouns a derivative of a specified element or compound; especially a salt or ester of an acid whose name ends in -ic
7. n. in verbs to act in the specified manner

GNU Webster's 1913

1. As an ending of participles or participial adjectives it is equivalent to -ed
2. As the ending of a verb, it means to make, to cause, to act, etc.
3. As a noun suffix, it marks the agent. It also sometimes marks the office or dignity.
4. In chemistry it is used to denote the salts formed from those acids whose names end -ic (excepting binary or halogen acids); It is also used in the case of certain basic salts.