I. ˈstagˌnāt, -aig-, usu -ād.+V verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Latin stagnatus, past participle of stagnare, from stagnum body of standing water, pond, pool, swamp; akin to OBreton staer river, brook, Greek stazein to drip; basic meaning: to drip
intransitive verb
1. : to remain motionless or cease to move or flow
maritime air of tropical origin stagnates … over these islands — G.H.T.Kimble
2.
a. : to fail to advance or develop : lose the capacity for growth
arts that had been stagnating for centuries — A.M.Rosenthal
without self-criticism a university will stagnate — Current Biography
b. : to live a dull, changeless life without variety or the possibility of development
he wanted a change, he did not wish to stagnate — Van Wyck Brooks
transitive verb
: to cause to become stagnant
stagnate the labor movement — American Guide Series: New York
II. -gnə̇t, -gˌnāt adjective
Etymology: Latin stagnatus, past participle of stagnare
archaic : stagnant
the water dark, deep, turgid, and stagnate — William Bartram