domesticate

C1 Topic:Animals

US /dəˈmɛ.stɪ.keɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #67680

Meanings

1

verb
To tame an animal so it can live with and be useful to humans.

The horse was domesticated thousands of years ago.
2

verb
To adapt a wild plant for growing on farms or in gardens.

Early farmers domesticated wheat and barley.
3

verb
To make someone more settled and suited to home life.

Marriage seems to have domesticated him.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to tame an animal so it can... tame

2 verb · to adapt a wild plant for... tame

Word family

Forms domesticateddomesticatesdomesticating

Derived forms domesticatabledomesticateddomesticationdomesticatoroverdomesticateredomesticateself-domesticateundomesticate

Etymology

First attested in 1620; either borrowed from Middle French domestiquer (Modern French domestiquer) or directly from Medieval Latin domesticātus, perfect passive participle of domesticō (“to domesticate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). By surface analysis, domestic + -ate.

*dem- Proto-Indo-European domesticātus la-med

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Animals Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# domesticate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /dəˈmɛ.stɪ.keɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 67680

## Meanings
1. To tame an animal so it can live with and be useful to humans.
2. To adapt a wild plant for growing on farms or in gardens.
3. To make someone more settled and suited to home life.

## Examples
- The horse was domesticated thousands of years ago.
- Early farmers domesticated wheat and barley.
- Marriage seems to have domesticated him.

## Derived Forms
- domesticatable
- domesticated
- domestication
- domesticator
- overdomesticate
- redomesticate
- self-domesticate
- undomesticate

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *dem-
- Root: domesticātus

## Etymology
First attested in 1620; either borrowed from Middle French domestiquer (Modern French domestiquer) or directly from Medieval Latin domesticātus, perfect passive participle of domesticō (“to domesticate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). By surface analysis, domestic + -ate.

## AI Etymology
Domesticate is first attested in 1620; either borrowed from Middle French domestiquer (Modern French domestiquer) or directly from Medieval Latin domesticātus, perfect passive participle of domesticō (“to domesticate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). By surface analysis, domestic + -ate. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix. In present-day use, it can mean to tame an animal so it can live with and be useful to humans, or to adapt a wild plant for growing on farms or in gardens. Derived formations include domesticatable, domesticated, domestication, domesticator, overdomesticate.

## Topics
- Animals
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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