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instigate
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instigate
in·sti·gate
[
ínsti gàyt
]
(
past and past participle
in·sti·gat·ed
,
present participle
in·sti·gat·ing
,
3rd person present singular
in·sti·gates
)
transitive verb
Definition:
1.
get something started:
to cause a process to start
2.
start trouble:
to cause trouble, especially by urging somebody to do something destructive or wrong
[
Mid-16th century. < Latin
instigat-
, past participle of
instigare
<
stigare
"prick, incite"
]
in·sti·ga·tion
[
ìnsti gáysh'n
]
noun
in·sti·ga·tor
noun
Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P)2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
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