embed

American  

[em-bed, em-bed] / ɛmˈbɛd, ˈɛmˌbɛd /

Sometimes imbed

verb (used with object)

embedded, embedding

1. to fix into a surrounding mass.

   to embed stones in cement.

2. to surround tightly or firmly; envelop or enclose.

   Thick cotton padding embedded the precious vase in its box.

3. to incorporate or contain as an essential part or characteristic.

   A love of color is embedded in all of her paintings.

4. Histology. to infiltrate (a biological tissue) with molten paraffin or other plastic material that later solidifies, enabling the preparation to be sliced very thin for viewing under a microscope.

5. Mathematics. to map (a set) into another set.

6. Grammar. to insert (a construction, as a phrase or clause) into a larger construction, as a clause or sentence.

7. 1. to assign (a journalist) to travel with a military unit or a political campaign: We've embedded a reporter with each of the presidential candidates.

      The photojournalists were embedded in Afghanistan with U.S. troops.

      We've embedded a reporter with each of the presidential candidates.

   2. to invite (an expert, creative professional, etc.) to work closely with a group or participate in a special event.

      We have embedded writers within our acting companies, and now have playwrights writing pieces for the actors they are working with.

8. Digital Technology. to place (text, images, sound, or computer code) in a computer file, HTML document, software program, or electronic device.

   Here's how to embed videos on your website.

---

verb (used without object)

embedded, embedding

1. to be or become fixed or incorporated, as into a surrounding mass.

   Glass embeds in the soft tar of the road.

noun

1. a person who has been embedded, as with a military unit.

2. a period of time during which a person is embedded.

embed British  

/ ɪmˈbɛd /

verb

1. (usually foll by in) to fix or become fixed firmly and deeply in a surrounding solid mass

   to embed a nail in wood

2. (tr) to surround closely

   hard rock embeds the roots

3. (tr) to fix or retain (a thought, idea, etc) in the mind

4. (often foll by with) to assign a journalist or be assigned as one to accompany an active military unit

5. (tr) grammar to insert (a subordinate clause) into a sentence

---

noun

1. a journalist accompanying an active military unit

Other Word Forms

• embedment noun

Etymology

Origin of embed

First recorded in 1770–80; em- ¹ + bed

Example Sentences

Platforms are embedding AI-driven search, chat, and recommendation tools directly into core shopping experiences, guiding users through huge product catalogs with far less friction than traditional browsing.

From Barron's

Instead, they operate out of small storage units embedded deep inside residential neighbourhoods.

From BBC

As AI becomes embedded in the military, intelligence and cyber programs of the state, dependence on foreign systems becomes harder to justify.

From The Wall Street Journal

They develop slowly, are deeply embedded in tissues like the brain, and do not form efficiently in standard lab cultures.

From Science Daily

"Music embeds a sense of confidence, I think, in the individual in a way that nothing else does. And that can be applied to anything that you go on in your life and do."

From BBC

Related Words

• bury
• enclose
• fix
• ingrain
• inlay
• insert
• install
• lodge