assimilate

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To take in and fully understand new information or ideas.

   It takes time to assimilate everything you learn in the first week.

2. 2
   verb

   To become part of a community or culture, or to make someone part of it.

   Many immigrants work hard to assimilate into their new country.

3. 3
   verb

   To absorb digested food into the body.

   The body assimilates nutrients from food during digestion.

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.

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