assimilate. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

assimilate

SYLLABICATION:	as·sim·i·late
PRONUNCIATION:	-sm-lt
VERB:	Inflected forms: as·sim·i·lat·ed, as·sim·i·lat·ing, as·sim·i·lates
TRANSITIVE VERB:	1. Physiology a. To consume and incorporate (nutrients) into the body after digestion. b. To transform (food) into living tissue by the process of anabolism; metabolize constructively. 2. To incorporate and absorb into the mind: assimilate knowledge. 3. To make similar; cause to resemble. 4. Linguistics To alter (a sound) by assimilation. 5. To absorb (immigrants or a culturally distinct group) into the prevailing culture.
INTRANSITIVE VERB:	To become assimilated.
ETYMOLOGY:	Middle English assimilaten, from Latin assimilre, assimilt-, to make similar to : ad-, ad- + similis, like; see sem-¹ in Appendix I.
OTHER FORMS:	as·simi·lator —NOUN


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.