mongrelize

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈmʌŋɡrəˌlaɪz/ UK /ˈmʌŋɡrəˌlaɪz/ See IPA manual

Freq #1331404

Meanings

1

verb
to crossbreed plants or animals so that their offspring have mixed ancestry

Uncontrolled pollination can mongrelize a carefully maintained strain of flowers.
2

verb
to mix different kinds, styles, or sources into a heterogeneous whole

Repeated borrowing can mongrelize a technical vocabulary over time.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to crossbreed plants or... crossbreed hybridizeinterbreed

2 verb · to mix different kinds,... mix blend hybridize

More intermix

Opposites

purify standardize isolate

Word family

Forms mongrelized

Derived forms mongrelizationmongrelizer

Related forms mongrel hybrid crossbreed

Etymology

Formed in English from mongrel + -ize in the seventeenth century. The biological sense means to produce mixed-breed offspring; later uses extended the idea to mixed languages, styles, or materials. Uses about human ancestry are now offensive and belong to racist historical vocabulary.

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# mongrelize

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈmʌŋɡrəˌlaɪz/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈmʌŋɡrəˌlaɪz/
**Frequency rank:** 1331404

## Meanings
1. to crossbreed plants or animals so that their offspring have mixed ancestry
2. to mix different kinds, styles, or sources into a heterogeneous whole

## Examples
- Uncontrolled pollination can mongrelize a carefully maintained strain of flowers.
- Repeated borrowing can mongrelize a technical vocabulary over time.

## Synonyms
- crossbreed
- hybridize
- intermix
- blend

## Antonyms
- purify
- standardize
- isolate

## Derived Forms
- mongrelization
- mongrelizer

## Related Forms
- mongrel
- hybrid
- crossbreed

## Etymology
Formed in English from mongrel + -ize in the seventeenth century. The biological sense means to produce mixed-breed offspring; later uses extended the idea to mixed languages, styles, or materials. Uses about human ancestry are now offensive and belong to racist historical vocabulary.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

markdown