Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To study or write in a scholarly fashion.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To study earnestly or laboriously, as by candle-light; think closely or seriously; meditate.
  • To elaborate, as by laborious night study.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To elaborate, perfect, or compose, by night study or by laborious endeavor.
  • intransitive verb To study by candlelight or a lamp; to study by night.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb rare To work diligently by artificial light; to study at night.
  • verb To work or write like a scholar.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin lūcubrāre, lūcubrāt-, to work at night by lamplight; see leuk- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin lūcubrātus, perfect passive participle of lūcubrō ("work by candlelight"), from lūx ("light").

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word lucubrate.

Examples

  • But in vain will our Fathers have hungered and toiled; in vain will they have fought on the ensanguined field for these inestimable principles; if ignorance prevents their sons from enjoying the fruits of their victory: -- In vain may the legislator lucubrate over the mid night lamp in digesting equal laws: -- In vain may the erudite Judge preside on the bench, if ignorant Juries decide the fact, and apply the law.

    The Beginnings of Public Education in North Carolina; A Documentary History, 1790-1840. Vol. I Charles Lee 1908

  • Don't lucubrate to appear sectors with your thousand foot krutch rack fist number that can withstand handcrafted out of the decent researcher allegedly that organizations can hi you or commend them on to their friends.

    Wii-volution 2010

  • Don't lucubrate to appear sectors with your thousand foot krutch rack fist number that can withstand handcrafted out of the decent researcher allegedly that organizations can hi you or commend them on to their friends.

    Wii-volution 2010

  • Their oils can lucubrate as an appealing harts jewelry thousand oaks ca of what scientific producers are improperly mundane to produce counselling you.

    Wii-volution 2010

  • I am quite engrossing in this issue prospect you present lucubrate statesman on it in hereafter posts.

    digg.com: Stories / Popular 2010

  • They ruminate and lucubrate on such seemingly small things, and never stop turning them over in their minds. key to diagnostic and therapeutic medicine.

    The New Republic - All Feed 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • These example sentences for lucubrate don't make any sense at all. What happened?

    January 21, 2011

  • To study earnestly or laboriously, as by candle-light; think closely or seriously; meditate.

    To elaborate, as by laborious night study.

    September 7, 2021