ambulate | ˈambyəˌlāt | verb [no object] formal or technical walk; move about: making use of crutches to ambulate | tortoises are diurnally active, ambulating mainly over the course of the day. DERIVATIVES ambulation | ˌambyəˈlāSHən | noun ORIGIN early 17th century: from Latin ambulat- ‘walked’, from the verb ambulare.