acquire - Definitions from Dictionary.com

7 results for: acquire

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

ac·quire

Audio Help [uh-kwahy^uhr] Pronunciation Key

–verb (used with object), -quired, -quir·ing.

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.

[Origin: 1400–50; < L acquīrere to add to one's possessions, acquire (ac- ac- + -quīrere, comb. form of quaerere to search for, obtain); r. late ME aquere < MF aquerre < L

]

—Related forms

ac·quir·a·ble, adjective

ac·quir·a·bil·i·ty, noun

ac·quir·er, noun

—Synonyms 1. See get. 2. win, earn, attain; appropriate.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
acquire

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

ac·quire Audio Help (ə-kwīr') Pronunciation Key
tr.v. ac·quired, ac·quir·ing, ac·quires

To gain possession of: acquire 100 shares of stock.
To get by one's own efforts: acquire proficiency in math.
To gain through experience; come by: acquired a growing dislike of television sitcoms.
To locate (a moving object) with a tracking system, such as radar.

[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.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
acquire

c.1435, from O.Fr. aquerre, from L. aequirere (see acquisition).

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

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]

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
acquire [əˈkwaiə] verb

to get
Example: He acquired a knowledge of English.

Arabic:	يَكْتَسِب،يُحَقِّق
Chinese (Simplified):	学到；获得
Chinese (Traditional):	學到；獲得
Czech:	získat
Danish:	erhverve; tilegne sig
Dutch:	verwerven
Estonian:	omandama
Finnish:	hankkia
French:	acquérir
German:	erwerben
Greek:	αποκτώ
Hungarian:	szert tesz vmire, elsajátít vmit
Icelandic:	afla sér
Indonesian:	mendapatkan, memperoleh
Italian:	acquisire, acquistare

Japanese:	得る
Korean:	습득하다, 얻다
Latvian:	iegūt; apgūt
Lithuanian:	įgyti
Norwegian:	skaffe, tilegne seg
Polish:	zdobywać, nabywać
Portuguese (Brazil):	adquirir
Portuguese (Portugal):	adquirir
Romanian:	a dobândi
Russian:	приобретать
Slovak:	získať, nadobudnúť
Slovenian:	pridobiti
Spanish:	adquirir
Swedish:	förvärva, få
Turkish:	elde etmek

See also: acquisition, acquisitive

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

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.

Acronym Finder - Cite This Source - Share This

ACQUIRE

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