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Other

dissimilate

Syllabification: (dis·sim·i·late)
Pronunciation: /diˈsiməˌlāt/

Definition of dissimilate

verb

[with object] Linguistics
  • change (a sound in a word) in order to be unlike the sounds near it:in “pilgrim,” from Latin “peregrinus,” the first “r” is dissimilated to “l.”
  • [no object] (of a sound) undergo dissimilation:the first “r” dissimilates to “l.”

Derivatives

dissimilation

Pronunciation: /-ˌsiməˈlāSHən/

noun

dissimilatory

Pronunciation: /-ləˌtôrē/

adjective

Origin:

mid 19th century: from dis- (expressing reversal) + Latin similis 'like, similar', on the pattern of assimilate

dissimilate in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of dissimilate in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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