levigate

UK: /ˈlɛvɪˌɡeɪt/

US: (v. lev′i gāt′; adj. lev′i git, -gāt′)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

lev•i•gate  (v. lev′i gāt′;adj. lev′i git, -gāt′), v., -gat•ed, -gat•ing, adj. 
v.t. 

1. to rub, grind, or reduce to a fine powder, as in a mortar, with or without the addition of a liquid.
2. Chemistry to make a homogeneous mixture of, as gels.

adj. 

3. Botany having a smooth, glossy surface;
   glabrous.

• Latin lēvigātus, past participle of lēvigāre to smooth, pulverize, equivalent. to lēv(is) smooth + -igāre verb, verbal suffix see fumigate, -ate¹
• 1605–15

lev′i•ga′tion, n. 
lev′i•ga′tor, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

levigate / ˈlɛvɪˌɡeɪt/ verb

1. (transitive) to grind into a fine powder or a smooth paste
2. to form or cause to form a homogeneous mixture, as in the production of gels
3. (transitive) to suspend (fine particles) by grinding in a liquid, esp as a method of separating fine from coarse particles

Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin lēvigāre, from lēvis smooth

ˌleviˈgation noun