v.
Pronunciation: ' k ə l-m ə - ˌ n ā t
Function: verb
Inflected Form: -nat · ed ; -nat · ing
Etymology: Medieval Latin culminatus, past participle of culminare, from Late Latin, to crown, from Latin culmin-, culmen top ― more at HILL
Date: 1647
intransitive verb
1 of a celestial body : to reach its highest altitude also : to be directly overhead
2 a : to rise to or form a summit b : to reach the highest or a climactic or decisive point
transitive verb : to bring to a head or to the highest point