Wordwyrt

assimilate

/əˈsɪməˌleɪt/uh-SIH-muh-layt
/əˈsɪməˌleɪt/uh-SIH-muh-layt

Meaningto make like

Common meaning: to absorb and make part of oneself

‘to, towards’ + ‘like, resembling’ → assimilate

Journey through time

  1. Latinsimilis‘like, resembling’
  2. Englishassimilate‘to absorb and make part of oneself’ · today

as- also in: assertassistassortassumeassault

simil also in: similesimilarassembleresemblesimultaneous

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin similis ‘like, resembling’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry similis, p. 1700 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • similis Latin “like, resembling”

Related words

assembleresemblesimilarsimilesimultaneous

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