combine

[ verb kuhm-bahyn kom-bahyn noun kom-bahyn, kuhm-bahyn kom-bahyn ]

verb (used with object)

, com·bined, com·bin·ing.

1. to bring into or join in a close union or whole; unite:

   She combined the ingredients to make the cake.

   They combined the two companies.

   Synonyms: amalgamate, compound

   Antonyms: separate

2. to possess or exhibit in union:

   a plan that combines the best features of several other plans.

3. to harvest (grain) with a combine.

verb (used without object)

, com·bined, com·bin·ing.

1. to unite; coalesce:

   The clay combined with the water to form a thick paste.

   Antonyms: separate

2. to unite for a common purpose; join forces:

   After the two factions combined, they proved invincible.

3. to enter into chemical union.
4. to use a combine in harvesting.

noun

1. a combination.
2. a combination of persons or groups for the furtherance of their political, commercial, or other interests, as a syndicate, cartel, or trust.

   Synonyms: bloc, alignment, monopoly, merger

3. a harvesting machine for cutting and threshing grain in the field.

combine

verb

1. to integrate or cause to be integrated; join together
2. to unite or cause to unite to form a chemical compound
3. agriculture to harvest (crops) with a combine harvester

noun

1. agriculture short for combine harvester
2. an association of enterprises, esp in order to gain a monopoly of a market
3. an association of business corporations, political parties, sporting clubs, etc, for a common purpose

Derived Forms

• comˌbinaˈbility, noun
• comˈbiner, noun
• comˈbinable, adjective

Other Words From

• com·biner noun
• inter·com·bine verb (used with object) intercombined intercombining
• noncom·bining adjective
• precom·bine verb precombined precombining
• recom·bine verb recombined recombining
• recom·biner noun
• uncom·bining adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of combine¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English combinen, from Middle French combiner, from Late Latin combīnāre, equivalent to com- com- + -bīnāre, verb derived from bīnī “by twos” ( binary )

Word History and Origins

Origin of combine¹

C15: from Late Latin combīnāre, from Latin com- together + bīnī two by two

Synonym Study

See mix.

Example Sentences

Next year, the company will open permanent retail centers, called Netflix House, inside former department store locations in Texas and Pennsylvania that combine all those elements — food, merchandise and experiences based on Netflix programs.

From Los Angeles Times

"You add one molecule, it has no effect. You add a second molecule, it has no effect. But you combine the two molecules -- in this case, trimethoprim and DHL -- and the combination is deadly. We mixed genetics and chemistry, and it worked."

From Science Daily

A team around the physicist Dr. Felix Lang from the University of Potsdam, Prof. Lei Meng and Prof. Yongfang Li from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, now combine perovskite with organic absorbers to form a record-level tandem solar cell as reported in the scientific journal Nature.

From Science Daily

In their work, now published in Nature, Lang and colleagues combine two emerging solar cell technologies, namely perovskite and organic solar cells, that both are processed at low temperatures with a low carbon footprint.

From Science Daily

The researchers say that this work proves that it's possible to combine educational outreach with natural product discovery research, and it emphasizes the importance of a strong relationship between universities and their local communities.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• associate
• blend
• couple
• fuse
• incorporate
• link
• merge
• mix