mix

I. verb Etymology: Middle English, back-formation from mixte mixed, from Anglo-French, from Latin mixtus, past participle of miscēre to mix; akin to Greek mignynai to mix Date: 15th century transitive verb 1. a. (1) to combine or blend into one mass (2) to combine with another b. to bring into close association <

mix business with pleasure

> 2. a. to form by mixing components <

mix a drink at the bar

> b. to produce (a sound recording) by electronically combining or adjusting sounds from more than one source 3. confuse — often used with up <

mixes things up in his eagerness to speak out — Irving Howe

> intransitive verb 1. a. to become mixed b. to be capable of mixing 2. to enter into relations ; associate 3. crossbreed 4. to become involved ; participate <

decided not to mix in politics

> • mixable adjective Synonyms: mix, mingle, commingle, blend, merge, coalesce, amalgamate, fuse mean to combine into a more or less uniform whole. mix may or may not imply loss of each element's identity <

mix the salad greens

> <

mix a drink

>. mingle usually suggests that the elements are still somewhat distinguishable or separately active <

fear mingled with anticipation in my mind

>. commingle implies a closer or more thorough mingling <

a sense of duty commingled with a fierce pride drove her

>. blend implies that the elements as such disappear in the resulting mixture <

blended several teas to create a balanced flavor

>. merge suggests a combining in which one or more elements are lost in the whole <

in his mind reality and fantasy merged

>. coalesce implies an affinity in the merging elements and usually a resulting organic unity <

telling details that coalesce into a striking portrait

>. amalgamate implies the forming of a close union without complete loss of individual identities <

refugees who were readily amalgamated into the community

>. fuse stresses oneness and indissolubility of the resulting product <

a building in which modernism and classicism are fused

>. II. noun Date: circa 1586 1. an act or process of mixing 2. a product of mixing: as a. a commercially prepared mixture of food ingredients <

a cake mix

> b. a combination of different kinds <

the right mix of jobs, people and amenities — London Times

> 3. mixer 2b