domestication

[ duh-mes-ti-key-shuhn ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the act or process of taming an animal for human use or companionship:
Shortly after their domestication as companions, dogs were put to use as weapons of war.
the act or process of adapting a plant to cultivation or converting it to household use:
The domestication of modern wheat from wild grasses occurred in the Fertile Crescent and fueled the development of Indo-European culture.
the act or process of making someone accustomed to household life or affairs:
When my friend and former business partner not only got married but became pregnant, I saw it as yet another step in her domestication.
the act or process of making a strange or challenging person or thing more familiar and acceptable:
The author resists domestication of Nietzsche's philosophy, restoring the shock of his style and thought and interpreting him as a revolutionary philosopher.

First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin domesticāt-, stem of domesticāre “to dwell in a house” ( domesticate ( def ) ) + -ion ( def )

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