Entry · catalog no. 0231
ate
/ eɪt /AYT
verb · Ballroom / AAVE · 2010s
✓ Under review
1.
To perform or execute exceptionally — flawlessly, with nothing left to critique.
“She ate that verse and left no crumbs.”
Origin & Attribution
Rooted in ballroom and Black queer vernacular of excellence; an entry still gathering sources and elder review.
Region of origin
West
Midwest
N.East
South
The Northeast
Ballroom / AAVE · 2010s
Spoken by
Ballroom & Black queer communities
In review · entering the record
This submission holds a provisional record dated 2010s. Its place in line is fixed — the first to record keeps the credit. Keepers are reviewing it now.
✓
Submitted
A contributor enters the word, its definition, a usage example, its origin, and its sources.
Done
II
Attested
Keepers confirm the word is in genuine use. It receives a provisional catalog number and a date of record — its place in line is fixed from this moment.
In progress
III
Traced
Griots verify the origin and attribution, date the receipts, and correct any misattribution.
Pending
IV
Upheld
The entry must clear a community-consensus threshold — currently 90% — with its sources intact.
Pending
V
Recorded
The word is canonized into the permanent record: citable, dated, and credited to its origin for good.
Pending
Hear it spoken
By region — how it actually sounds
@bxgriot
The Bronx, NY
@phillyanne
Philadelphia, PA
Contribute your pronunciation