propagare
to propagate
verb proh-pah-GAH-reh Rare
Origin: From Latin propagare (to extend, multiply).
Also means
to spread
Usage Note
Propagare is used for the spread of sound, fire, disease, or ideas — propagare il suono (to propagate sound), propagare una notizia (to spread a piece of news). The reflexive propagarsi is equally common: il fuoco si è propagato rapidamente (the fire spread rapidly). Takes avere as auxiliary in its non-reflexive form.
Examples
"Le onde sonore si propagano nell'aria."
Natural Translation
Sound waves propagate through the air.

Free starter pack
Building your Italian vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore Italian by topic