dissimilation

[ dih-sim-uh-ley-shuhn ]

/ dɪˌsɪm əˈleɪ ʃən /

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See synonyms for dissimilation on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act of making or becoming unlike.

Phonetics. the process by which a speech sound becomes different from or less like a neighboring sound, as pilgrim

[pil-grim] /ˈpɪl grɪm/ from Latin peregrīnus

[per-e-gree-noos], /ˌpɛr ɛˈgri nʊs/, and purple

[pur-puhl] /ˈpɜr pəl/ from Old English purpure

[poor-poo-re], /ˈpʊər pʊ rɛ/, or disappears entirely because of a like sound in another syllable, as in the pronunciation

[guhv-uh-ner] /ˈgʌv ə nər/ for governor.Compare assimilation (def. 7).

Biology. catabolism.

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Origin of dissimilation

First recorded in 1820–30; dis-¹ + (as)similation

Words nearby dissimilation

dissidents, dissilient, dissimilar, dissimilarity, dissimilate, dissimilation, dissimilitude, dissimulate, dissimulation, dissipate, dissipated

How to use dissimilation in a sentence

The sounds most frequently affected by dissimilation are those represented by the letters l, n, and r. Fr.
The Romance of Words (4th ed.)|Ernest Weekley
We have seen (p. 57) that the letters l, n, r are particularly subject to dissimilation and metathesis.
The Romance of Words (4th ed.)|Ernest Weekley
In the family name Hansom, for Hanson, we have dissimilation of n (see p. 57).
The Romance of Words (4th ed.)|Ernest Weekley
Let us first of all glance at some of the most important phenomena in connection with assimilation and dissimilation.
An Introduction to Psychology|Wilhelm Max Wundt

To cause the opposite process of dissimilation, we draw one large sector among several smaller sectors.
An Introduction to Psychology|Wilhelm Max Wundt

British Dictionary definitions for dissimilation

dissimilation

/ (ˌdɪsɪmɪˈleɪʃən) /

noun

the act or an instance of making dissimilar

phonetics the alteration or omission of a consonant as a result of being dissimilated

biology a less common word for catabolism

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

dissimilation

Origin of dissimilation

Words nearby dissimilation

Words related to dissimilation

How to use dissimilation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dissimilation