proliferate

proliferate
verb (-ated; -ating) Etymology: back-formation from proliferation, from French prolifération, from proliférer to proliferate, from prolifère reproducing freely, from Latin proles + -fer -ferous Date: 1873 intransitive verb 1. to grow by rapid production of new parts, cells, buds, or offspring 2. to increase in number as if by proliferating ; multiply transitive verb 1. to cause to grow by proliferating 2. to cause to increase in number or extent as if by proliferating • proliferation nounproliferative adjective

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Proliferate — Pro*lif er*ate, v. t. [L. proles offspring + ferre to bear.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Biol.) To produce or form cells; especially, to produce cells rapidly. [1913 Webster] 2. (Zo[ o]l.) To produce zooids by budding. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • proliferate — I verb abound, be fruitful, be numerous, be plentiful, blossom, breed, bud, burgeon, fecundate, fecundity, flourish, flower, grow, grow in number, have offspring, have progeny, increase the number of, make manifold, multiplicare, multiply,… …   Law dictionary

  • proliferate — 1873, as a term in biology, from PROLIFERATION (Cf. proliferation). General sense from 1961. Related: Proliferated; proliferating …   Etymology dictionary

  • proliferate — [v] increase quickly breed, burgeon, engender, escalate, expand, generate, grow rapidly, multiply, mushroom*, procreate, propagate, reproduce, run riot*, snowball*; concept 780 Ant. decline, decrease, fall off …   New thesaurus

  • proliferate — ► VERB ▪ reproduce rapidly; increase rapidly in number. DERIVATIVES proliferation noun proliferative adjective. ORIGIN from Latin prolificus (see PROLIFIC(Cf. ↑prolifically)) …   English terms dictionary

  • proliferate — [prō lif΄ə rāt΄, prəlif΄ər āt΄] vt. proliferated, proliferating [back form. < proliferation < Fr prolifération < prolifère, PROLIFEROUS + ATION] 1. to reproduce (new parts) in quick succession 2. to produce or create in profusion vi. 1 …   English World dictionary

  • proliferate — UK [prəˈlɪfəreɪt] / US [prəˈlɪfəˌreɪt] verb [intransitive] Word forms proliferate : present tense I/you/we/they proliferate he/she/it proliferates present participle proliferating past tense proliferated past participle proliferated formal to… …   English dictionary

  • proliferate — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) v. i. spread, multiply. See multitude, reproduction. II (Roget s IV) v. Syn. increase, engender, procreate, generate; see propagate 1 , reproduce 3 . III (Roget s 3 Superthesaurus) (VOCABULARY WORD) v.… …   English dictionary for students

  • proliferate — pro|lif|e|rate [prəˈlıfəreıt] v [I] [Date: 1800 1900; Origin: proliferation] if something proliferates, it increases quickly and spreads to many different places ▪ Computer courses continue to proliferate …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • proliferate — [[t]prəlɪ̱fəreɪt[/t]] proliferates, proliferating, proliferated VERB If things proliferate, they increase in number very quickly. [FORMAL] Computerized data bases are proliferating fast... In recent years commercial, cultural, travel and other… …   English dictionary

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