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impregnate

imp·reg·nate

UK/ˈɪmprɛɡnət/ US/ɪmˈprɛɡnət/ rare dated obsolete rare

verb

1.

fill, as with a certain quality

  • “The heavy traffic tinctures the air with carbon monoxide”
Synonyms
2.

infuse or fill completely

  • “Impregnate the cloth with alcohol”
Synonyms
3.

fertilize and cause to grow

  • “the egg was impregnated”
4.

make pregnant

  • “He impregnated his wife again”
Synonyms

Origin

The adjective is first attested in 1540, the verb in 1605; borrowed from Medieval Latin impraegnātus, perfect passive participle of Latin impraegnō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Doublet of impregn; participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.