dissimilation
Americannoun
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the act of making or becoming unlike.
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Phonetics. the process by which a speech sound becomes different from or less like a neighboring sound, as pilgrim from Latin peregrīnus and purple from Old English purpure or disappears entirely because of a like sound in another syllable, as in the pronunciation for governor.
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Biology. catabolism.
noun
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the act or an instance of making dissimilar
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phonetics the alteration or omission of a consonant as a result of being dissimilated
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biology a less common word for catabolism
Etymology
Origin of dissimilation
First recorded in 1820–30; dis- 1 + (as)similation
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The result has been widespread public furor over crime, cultural dissimilation and fears of terrorism.
From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 11, 2016
The same group of names is affected by dissimilation, i.e. the instinct to avoid the recurrence of the same sound.
From The Romance of Names by Weekley, Ernest
For in these cases the supposed dissimilation is followed not by a decrease but by an increase of functional activity.
From Response in the Living and Non-Living by Bose, Jagadis Chandra, Sir
The Norse form versla shows later dissimilation of ss to rs.
From Scandinavian influence on Southern Lowland Scotch by Flom, George Tobias
Effect’ in Plant Fatigue.—It is assumed that in living substances like muscle, fatigue is caused by the break down or dissimilation of tissue by stimulus.
From Response in the Living and Non-Living by Bose, Jagadis Chandra, Sir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
