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assimilate

 [v. uh-sim-uh-leyt; n. uh-sim-uh-lit, -leyt]   Example Sentences Origin

as·sim·i·late

   [v. uh-sim-uh-leyt; n. uh-sim-uh-lit, -leyt] verb, -lat·ed, -lat·ing, noun
verb (used with object)
1.
to take in and incorporate as one's own; absorb: He assimilated many new experiences on his European trip.
2.
to bring into conformity with the customs, attitudes, etc., of a group, nation, or the like; adapt or adjust: to assimilate the new immigrants.
3.
Physiology. to convert (food) to substances suitable for incorporation into the body and its tissues.
4.
to cause to resemble (usually followed by to or with).
5.
to compare; liken (usually followed by to or with).
EXPAND
6.
Phonetics. to modify by assimilation.
COLLAPSE
verb (used without object)
7.
to be or become absorbed.
8.
to conform or adjust to the customs, attitudes, etc., of a group, nation, or the like: The new arrivals assimilated easily and quickly.
9.
Physiology. (of food) to be converted into the substance of the body; be absorbed into the system.
10.
to bear a resemblance (usually followed by to or with).
11.
Phonetics. to become modified by assimilation.

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Assimilate is always a great word to know.
So is basal. Does it mean:
the change in a muscle by which it becomes thickened and shortened
indicating a standard low level of activity of an organism, as during total rest
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
noun
12.
something that is assimilated.
Origin:
1570–80; < Latin assimilātus likened to, made like (past participle of assimilāre), equivalent to as- as- + simil- (see similar) + -ātus -ate1

Related forms
as·sim·i·la·tor, noun
non·as·sim·i·lat·ing, adjective
re·as·sim·i·late, verb, -lat·ed, -lat·ing.
un·as·sim·i·lat·ed, adjective
un·as·sim·i·lat·ing, adjective
EXPAND
well-as·sim·i·lat·ed, adjective
COLLAPSE
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To assimilate
Example Sentences
  • He found it impossible to quickly assimilate the information.
  • Because of this and other factors, it has taken them longer to assimilate — adding to their sense of alienation.
  • The ability to quickly assimilate, and immediately apply, new information is also useful.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
assimilate (əˈsɪmɪˌleɪt)
 
—vb (usually foll by into or with) (usually foll by to or with)
1.  (tr) to learn (information, a procedure, etc) and understand it thoroughly
2.  (tr) to absorb (food) and incorporate it into the body tissues
3.  (intr) to become absorbed, incorporated, or learned and understood
4.  to bring or come into harmony; adjust or become adjusted: the new immigrants assimilated easily
5.  to become or cause to become similar
6.  (usually foll by to) phonetics to change (a consonant) or (of a consonant) to be changed into another under the influence of one adjacent to it: (n) often assimilates to before (k), as in ``include''
 
[C15: from Latin assimilāre to make one thing like another, from similis like, similar]
 
as'similable
 
—adj
 
as'similably
 
—adv
 
assimi'lation
 
—n
 
as'similative
 
—adj
 
as'similatory
 
—adj
 
as'similator
 
—n
 
as'similatively
 
—adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

assimilate
1520s, from L. assimilatus, pp. of assimilare "to make like," from ad- "to" + simulare "make similar," from similis "like, resembling" (see similar). Originally trans. (with to); intrans. use first recorded 1837.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

assimilate as·sim·i·late (ə-sĭm'ə-lāt')
v. as·sim·i·lat·ed, as·sim·i·lat·ing, as·sim·i·lates

  1. To consume and incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion.

  2. To transform food into living tissue by the process of anabolism.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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