assimilate
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Late Latin assimilātus, variant of Latin assimulātus (“made similar, imitated”), perfect passive participle of assimulō, from ad + simulō (“imitate, copy”), from similis (“like, similar”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“together, one”). Doublet of assemble.
Pronunciation[edit]
Verb[edit]
assimilate (third-person singular simple present assimilates, present participle assimilating, simple past and past participle assimilated)
- (transitive) To incorporate nutrients into the body, especially after digestion.
- Food is assimilated and converted into organic tissue.
- a. 1728 (date written), Isaac Newton, “[The Third Book of Opticks.]”, in Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections and Colours of Light. […], 4th edition, London: […] William Innys […], published 1730, →OCLC, page 362:
- Hence also it may be, that the Parts of Animals and Vegetables preserve their several Forms, and assimilate their Nourishment; [...]
- 1822, John Barclay, chapter I, in An Inquiry Into the Opinions, Ancient and Modern, Concerning Life and Organization[1], Edinburgh, London: Bell & Bradfute; Waugh & Innes; G. & W. B. Whittaker, section I, page 1:
- In the living state, the body is observed to receive aliment; to assimilate a part; to evacuate what is redundant or useless; [...]
- (transitive) To incorporate or absorb (knowledge) into the mind.
- The teacher paused in her lecture to allow the students to assimilate what she had said.
- 1850, Charles Merivale, History of the Romans Under the Empire:
- His mind had no power to assimilate the lessons.
- (transitive) To absorb (a person or people) into a community or culture.
- The aliens in the science-fiction film wanted to assimilate human beings into their own race.
- (transitive, rare, used with "to" or "with") To liken, compare to something similar.
- 2005 October 12, J. R. Spencer, transl., Penal Code [of France][2], Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, retrieved 2020-01-19, page 25:
- The use of an animal to kill, wound or threaten is assimilated to the use of a weapon.
- (transitive) To bring to a likeness or to conformity; to cause a resemblance between.
- March 13, 1866, John Bright, The reform bill on the motion for leave to bring in the bill
- to assimilate our law in respect to the law of Scotland
- 1782–1785, William Cowper, “(please specify the page)”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC:
- Fast falls a fleecy shower; the downy flakes / Assimilate all objects.
- 1676, Matthew Hale, “Meditations upon the Lord’s Prayer”, in Contemplations Moral and Divine. The Second Part, London: […] William Shrewsbury […], and Tho[mas] Leigh and D[aniel] Midwinter, […], published 1699, →OCLC, page 478:
- [I]t [the seed of life] doth, by degrees, aſſimilate the whole inward Man to this living Principle, and conforms the Life unto it.
- March 13, 1866, John Bright, The reform bill on the motion for leave to bring in the bill
- (intransitive) To become similar.
- (intransitive) To be incorporated or absorbed into something.
Synonyms[edit]
- (incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind): process
- (absorb a group of people into a community): integrate
Translations[edit]
to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion
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to incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind
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to absorb a group of people into a community
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to compare something to another similar one
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to bring to a likeness or to conformity; to cause a resemblance between
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to become similar
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to be incorporated or absorbed into something
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
Noun[edit]
assimilate
- Something that is or has been assimilated.
- 2005, Ep Heuvelink, Tomatoes, →ISBN, page 65:
- At low light intensity, high temperature delays the first flower initiation, as assimilate supply is limiting and high temperature reduces the amount of assimilate available in the plant[.]
- 2012, A. Läuchli, R.L. Bieleski, Inorganic Plant Nutrition, →ISBN, page 83:
- the growing root and ectomycorrhizas both act as assimilate sinks
Translations[edit]
Translations
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Italian[edit]
Verb[edit]
assimilate
- inflection of assimilare:
Latin[edit]
Verb[edit]
assimilāte
Categories:
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *sem-
- English terms borrowed from Late Latin
- English terms derived from Late Latin
- English terms derived from Latin
- English doublets
- English 4-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- English terms with rare senses
- English intransitive verbs
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- Italian non-lemma forms
- Italian verb forms
- Latin non-lemma forms
- Latin verb forms