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es·ca·late

(ĕskə-lāt′)

v. es·ca·lat·ed, es·ca·lat·ing, es·ca·lates

v.intr.

To increase in intensity, extent, or amount: tensions that escalated into violence.

v.tr.

1. To increase, enlarge, or intensify: escalated the hostilities in the Persian Gulf.

2. To pass (a transaction or case) on to a higher level in an organizational hierarchy: escalated the customer's complaint.

[Back-formation from ESCALATOR.]

es′ca·lation n.

esca·la·to′ry (-lə-tôr′ē) adj.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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