v. [f. L. crepitāt-, ppl. stem of crepitāre to crackle, frequentative of crepāre to crack, creak: see -ATE.]
† 1. intr. To break wind. Obs.
1623. Cockeram, Crepitate, to winde or fart.
1768. W. Donaldson, Life & Adv. Sir B. Sapskull, I. 149. The posterior sound, that … crepitates from the squeez’d bum of some city prude after a city collation.
2. Entom. Of certain beetles: To eject a pungent fluid suddenly with a sharp report. (Cf. BOMBARDIER 4.)
1826. Kirby & Sp., Entomol., xli. (1828), IV. 149. The substance which they emit when they crepitate.
3. To make a crackling sound, to crackle: spec. of the tissue of the lungs (also used of the action accompanying or producing this sound; cf. CREPITATION 2).
1853. Fraser’s Mag., XLVII. 559. That [salt] … bears the heat of the fire without crepitating.
1877. Roberts, Handbk. Med. (ed. 3), I. 378. The part affected is enlarged; crepitates imperfectly.
1888. L. Hearn, in Harper’s Mag., April, 741/2. The immense hall rises,—oscillates,—twirls as upon a pivot,—crepitates,—crumbles into ruin.
4. To rattle: said of the sound made by the crepitaculum of the rattle-snake. (Cf. CREPITATION 3.)
Hence Crepitating vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1852–9. Todd, Cycl. Anat., IV. 595/1. The crepitating sensation caused by the friction of the head of the humerus against the under surface of the acromion.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., xxxiv. (1856), 307. I felt a something move. The something had a crepitating, insectine wriggle.
1883. W. Jago, in Knowledge, 13 July, 18/2. [Starch] on being pressed between the fingers, produces a peculiar sound, known as ‘crepitating.’
