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assimilate

as·sim·i·late

assimilate

 
 
pronunciation:
sI m leIt
parts of speech:
transitive verb, intransitive verb
features:
Word Combinations (verb), Word Parts
part of speech: transitive verb
inflections: assimilates, assimilating, assimilated
definition 1: to absorb and incorporate (knowledge, experience, or the like).
She'd studied a great deal, but she needed more time to assimilate the information before the oral exam.
synonyms:
absorb, digest, incorporate
similar words:
appropriate, consume, imbibe
definition 2: to absorb and incorporate (an ethnically distinct group) into the prevailing culture.
The villagers were forcibly assimilated into the society of the conquerors.
synonyms:
acculturate, integrate, naturalize
similar words:
accustom, amalgamate, blend, convert, transform, unite
definition 3: to metabolize (food); digest.
The body assimilates some foods more completely than others.
synonyms:
digest, metabolize
similar words:
consume, convert, eat, ingest
definition 4: in phonetics, to modify (a sound) to make it resemble a linguistically adjacent sound.
The /p/ sound in the word "grandpa" tends to assimilate the preceding /n/ sound so that /n/ becomes /m/.
 
part of speech: intransitive verb
definition 1: to be or become absorbed or incorporated.
Some groups, such as the Amish, have never assimilated into American society.
synonyms:
adjust
similar words:
naturalize
definition 2: to adapt and conform.
Adult immigrants tended to hang on to their language and traditional ways, whereas the children usually assimilated.
synonyms:
acclimate, adapt, adjust, conform
similar words:
accommodate, convert
definition 3: of food, to be or become absorbed into an organism's system.
These types of food assimilate quickly in the body.
synonyms:
digest, metabolize
similar words:
convert
definition 4: of a speech sound, to become modified by a linguistically adjacent sound.
The /n/ sound assimilates to the following /p/ sound and becomes /m/ in the pronunciation.
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derivations: assimilative (adj.), assimilator (n.)
Word PartsSubscriber feature About this feature