assimilate en · VERB · etymology 1
Pronunciation
Etymology
First attested in the early 15ᵗʰ century, in Middle English; Middle English assimilaten (“to become similar; to make like”), from assimilat(e) (“assimilated”, also used as the past participal of assimilaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Late Latin assimilātus, variant of Latin assimulātus (“made similar, imitated”), perfect passive participle of assimulō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ad + simulō (“to imitate, copy”), from similis (“like, similar”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“together, one”). Doublet of assemble.
Meanings
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(transitive) To incorporate nutrients into the body, especially after digestion.
Food is assimilated and converted into organic tissue.
Hence also it may be, that the Parts of Animals and Vegetables preserve their several Forms, and assimilate their Nourishment; [...]
a. 1728 (date written), Isaac Newton, “[The Third Book of Opticks.] ”, in Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections and Colours of Light. […], 4th edition, London: […] William Innys […], published 1730, →OCLC, page 362:In the living state, the body is observed to receive aliment; to assimilate a part; to evacuate what is redundant or useless; [...]
1822, John Barclay, chapter I, in An Inquiry Into the Opinions, Ancient and Modern, Concerning Life and Organization, Edinburgh; London: Bell & Bradfute; Waugh & Innes; G. & W. B. Whittaker, section I, page 1:
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(transitive) To incorporate or absorb (knowledge) into the mind.
His mind had no power to assimilate the lessons.
1850, Charles Merivale, History of the Romans Under the Empire:The teacher paused in her lecture to allow the students to assimilate what she had said.
A good modern work on this subject is needed, preferably by someone who understands both the Bible and human sexuality, but Sex and the Bible isn't it. I'm not sure what went wrong. Larue has read the literature, but seems not to have assimilated it.
1981 December 1, Duncan Mitchel, “The God That Dare Not Speak Its Name”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 20, page 8:
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(transitive) To absorb (a person or people) into a community or culture.
The aliens in the science-fiction film wanted to assimilate human beings into their own race.
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(rare, transitive, used with "to" or "with") To liken, compare to something similar.
The use of an animal to kill, wound or threaten is assimilated to the use of a weapon.
2005 October 12, J. R. Spencer, transl., Penal Code [of France], Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, retrieved 19 Jan 2020, page 25:
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(transitive) To bring to a likeness or to conformity; to cause a resemblance between.
March 13, 1866, John Bright, The reform bill on the motion for leave to bring in the bill to assimilate our law in respect to the law of Scotland
[I]t [the seed of life] doth, by degrees, aſſimilate the whole inward Man to this living Principle, and conforms the Life unto it.
1676, Matthew Hale, “Meditations upon the Lord’s Prayer”, in Contemplations Moral and Divine. The Second Part, London: […] William Shrewsbury […], and Tho[mas] Leigh and D[aniel] Midwinter, […], published 1699, →OCLC, page 478:Fast falls a fleecy shower; the downy flakes / Assimilate all objects.
1782–1785, William Cowper, “(please specify the page)”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC:
- (intransitive) To become similar.
- (intransitive) To be incorporated or absorbed into something.
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(ambitransitive) To undergo phonetic assimilation.
In Arabic, if a noun starts with a sun letter, it assimilates the lam sound of the of article al-, but if it starts with a moon letter, there is no change to the al-.
2023 January 5, Belen Edwards, “High Valyrian from 'Game of Thrones' has four genders. Here's why.”, in Mashable, archived from the original on 21 Mar 2023:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| assimilating | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| assimilated | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| assimilated | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| assimilates | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |
Deriveds
assimilatory · nonassimilated · bioassimilated · unassimilated · assimilative · disassimilate · reassimilate · assimilatable · photoassimilate · deassimilate
Synonyms
process (incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) · integrate (absorb a group of people into a community)
Translations (89)
pl zasymilować się (to be incorporated or absorbed into something) · pt assimilar (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · pl asymilować (to bring to a likeness or to conformity; to cause a resemblance between) · es asimilar (to absorb a group of people into a community) · pt absorver (to incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) · pt integrar (to absorb a group of people into a community) · pl asymilować się (to be incorporated or absorbed into something) · he הטמעה (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · pt assimilar (to absorb a group of people into a community) · fi sisäistää (to incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) · bg усвоявам (to incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) · uk засво́ювати (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · pl przejąć (to incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) · uk уподі́бнювати (to compare something to another similar one) · fr assimiler (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · uk уподі́бнити (to bring to a likeness or to conformity; to cause a resemblance between) · tr asimile etmek (to absorb a group of people into a community) · ca assimilar (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · hy ձուլվել (to be incorporated or absorbed into something) · uk асимільо́вувати (to absorb a group of people into a community) · hi सम्मेलित (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · uk засво́ювати (to incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) · nl integreren (to absorb a group of people into a community) · uk засво́їти (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · id asimilasi (to absorb a group of people into a community) · nl assimileren (to absorb a group of people into a community) · uk засво́їти (to incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) · bg наподобявам (to compare something to another similar one) · pl asymilować (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · bg асимилирам (to absorb a group of people into a community) · ro asimila (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · uk асимілюва́тися (to be incorporated or absorbed into something) · hy ձուլել (to absorb a group of people into a community) · uk асимілюва́тися (to become similar) · pl zasymilować (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · eo asimili (to absorb a group of people into a community) · sq asimiloj (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · fr digérer (to incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) · pl przejmować (to incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) · sq asimiloj (to incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) · uk уподі́бнювати (to bring to a likeness or to conformity; to cause a resemblance between) · uk уподі́бнити (to compare something to another similar one) · pl asymilować (to absorb a group of people into a community) · vi đồng hóa (to absorb a group of people into a community) · pl zasymilować (to bring to a likeness or to conformity; to cause a resemblance between) · fi rinnastaa (to compare something to another similar one) · sq asimiloj (to compare something to another similar one) · ru усва́ивать (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · hu hasonít (to bring to a likeness or to conformity; to cause a resemblance between) · pl przyswajać (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · uk асимільо́вувати (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · sh asimilírati (to incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) · uk асимілюва́ти (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · pl przyswoić (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · io asimilar (to incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) · io asimilar (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · sq asimiloj (to absorb a group of people into a community) · ca assimilar (to absorb a group of people into a community) · pt anabolizar (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · sh asimilírati (to absorb a group of people into a community) · pl zasymilować (to incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) · el αφομοιώνω (to incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) · pt assimilar (to incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) · pl zasymilować (to absorb a group of people into a community) · bg усвоявам (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · sh asimilírati (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · pl asymilować (to incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) · fr absorber (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · hu asszimilál (to absorb a group of people into a community) · bn সম্মেলিত (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · de assimilieren (to absorb a group of people into a community) · fr assimiler (to absorb a group of people into a community) · io asimilar (to absorb a group of people into a community) · ja 同化する (to absorb a group of people into a community) · ru усво́ить (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · fr assimiler (to compare something to another similar one) · fr assimiler (to incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) · ca assimilar-se (to compare something to another similar one) · hu hasonul (to become similar) · fi omaksua (to incorporate or absorb knowledge into the mind) · af assimileer (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · el αφομοιώνω (to absorb a group of people into a community) · fi imeyttää (to incorporate nutrients into the body after digestion) · hu asszimilálódik (to be incorporated or absorbed into something) · it assimilare (to absorb a group of people into a community) · ru ассимили́ровать (to absorb a group of people into a community) · uk асимілюва́ти (to absorb a group of people into a community) · fi sulauttaa (to absorb a group of people into a community) · nl vergelijken (to compare something to another similar one)