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Audio Help [uh-kwahyuh
r] Pronunciation Key | 1. | to come into possession or ownership of; get as one's own: to acquire property. |
| 2. | to gain for oneself through one's actions or efforts: to acquire learning. |
| 3. | Linguistics. to achieve native or nativelike command of (a language or a linguistic rule or element). |
| 4. | Military. to locate and track (a moving target) with a detector, as radar. |
] —Related forms
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
Acquire
To learn more about Acquire visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| ac·quire
Audio Help (ə-kwīr') Pronunciation Key
tr.v. ac·quired, ac·quir·ing, ac·quires
[Middle English acquere, from Old French aquerre, from Latin acquīrere, to add to : ad-, ad- + quaerere, to seek, get.] ac·quir'a·ble adj., ac·quir'er n. |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
acquire
| Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper |
| acquire | |
verb | |
| 1. | come into the possession of something concrete or abstract; "She got a lot of paintings from her uncle"; "They acquired a new pet"; "Get your results the next day"; "Get permission to take a few days off from work" [syn: get] |
| 2. | take on a certain form, attribute, or aspect; "His voice took on a sad tone"; "The story took a new turn"; "he adopted an air of superiority"; "She assumed strange manners"; "The gods assume human or animal form in these fables" [syn: assume] |
| 3. | come to have or undergo a change of (physical features and attributes); "He grew a beard"; "The patient developed abdominal pains"; "I got funny spots all over my body"; "Well-developed breasts" [syn: grow] |
| 4. | locate (a moving entity) by means of a tracking system such as radar |
| 5. | win something through one's efforts; "I acquired a passing knowledge of Chinese"; "Gain an understanding of international finance" [ant: lose] |
| 6. | gain knowledge or skills; "She learned dancing from her sister"; "I learned Sanskrit"; "Children acquire language at an amazing rate" [syn: learn] |
| 7. | gain through experience; "I acquired a strong aversion to television"; "Children must develop a sense of right and wrong"; "Dave developed leadership qualities in his new position"; "develop a passion for painting" [syn: develop] |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
acquire [əˈkwaiə] verb
Example: He acquired a knowledge of English.
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| Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version), © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd. |
Main Entry: ac·quire
Pronunciation: &-'kwI(&)r
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: ac·quired; ac·quir·ing
: to come to have as a new or additional characteristic, trait, or ability (as by sustained effort, by mutation, or through environmental forces) <a cognitive system … that is
acquired in early childhood —Noam Chomsky> <bacteria that acquire tolerance to antibiotics> <insects that acquire resistance to DDT>
| Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc. |
Main Entry: ac·quire
Pronunciation: &-'kwIr
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: ac·quired; ac·quir·ing
:
to come into possession, ownership, or control of : obtain as one's own <the target's directors don't want the company to be acquired —Railroad C. Clark> <the court
acquired jurisdiction> —ac·quir·er also ac·qui·ror /&-'kwIr-&r/ noun
| Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc. |
Acquire
Ac*quest"\, n. [OF. aquest, F. acqu[^e]t, fr. LL. acquestum, acquis[=i]tum, for L. acquis[=i]tum, p. p. (used substantively) of acquirere to acquire. See Acquire.]1. Acquisition; the thing gained. [R.] --Bacon. 2. (Law) Property acquired by purchase, gift, or otherwise than by inheritance. --Bouvier.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
Acquire
Ac*quire"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acquired; p. pr. & vb. n. Acquiring.] [L. acquirere, acquisitum; ad + quarere to seek for. In OE. was a verb aqueren, fr. the same, through OF. aquerre. See Quest..] To gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own; as, to acquire a title, riches, knowledge, skill, good or bad habits. No virtue is acquired in an instant, but step by step. --Barrow. Descent is the title whereby a man, on the death of his ancestor, acquires his estate, by right of representation, as his heir at law. --Blackstone. Syn: To obtain; gain; attain; procure; win; earn; secure. See Obtain.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
Acquire
Ac"qui*site\, a. [L. acquisitus, p. p. of acquirere. See Acquire.] Acquired. [Obs.] --Burton.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
Acquire
Ac`qui*si"tion\, n. [L. acquisitio, fr. acquirere: cf. F. acquisition. See Acquire.]1. The act or process of acquiring. The acquisition or loss of a province. --Macaulay. 2. The thing acquired or gained; an acquirement; a gain; as, learning is an acquisition. Syn: See Acquirement.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
Acquire
Ob*tain"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Obtained; p. pr. & vb. n. Obtaining.] [F. obtenir, L. obtinere; ob (see Ob-) + tenere to hold. See Tenable.]1. To hold; to keep; to possess. [Obs.] His mother, then, is mortal, but his Sire He who obtains the monarchy of heaven. --Milton. 2. To get hold of by effort; to gain possession of; to procure; to acquire, in any way. Some pray for riches; riches they obtain. --Dryden. By guileful fair words peace may be obtained. --Shak. It may be that I may obtain children by her. --Gen. xvi. 2. Syn: To attain; gain; procure; acquire; win; earn. Usage: See Attain. -- To Obtain, Get, Gain, Earn, Acquire. The idea of getting is common to all these terms. We may, indeed, with only a slight change of sense, substitute get for either of them; as, to get or to gain a prize; to get or to obtain an employment; to get or to earn a living; to get or to acquire a language. To gain is to get by striving; and as this is often a part of our good fortune, the word gain is peculiarly applicable to whatever comes to us fortuitously. Thus, we gain a victory, we gain a cause, we gain an advantage, etc. To earn is to deserve by labor or service; as, to earn good wages; to earn a triumph. Unfortunately, one does not always get or obtain what he has earned. To obtain implies desire for possession, and some effort directed to the attainment of that which is not immediately within our reach. Whatever we thus seek and get, we obtain, whether by our own exertions or those of others; whether by good or bad means; whether permanently, or only for a time. Thus, a man obtains an employment; he obtains an answer to a letter, etc. To acquire is more limited and specific. We acquire what comes to us gradually in the regular exercise of our abilities, while we obtain what comes in any way, provided we desire it. Thus, we acquire knowledge, property, honor, reputation, etc. What we acquire becomes, to a great extent, permanently our own; as, to acquire a language; to acquire habits of industry, etc.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
Acquire
Que"ry\, n.; pl. Queries. [L. quaere, imperative sing. of quaerere, quaesitum to seek or search for, to ask, inquire. Cf. Acquire, Conquer, Exquisite, Quest, Require.]1. A question; an inquiry to be answered or solved. I shall conclude with proposing only some queries, in order to a . . . search to be made by others. --Sir I. Newton. 2. A question in the mind; a doubt; as, I have a query about his sincerity. 3. An interrogation point [?] as the sign of a question or a doubt.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
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