dissimilation
[ dih-sim-uh-ley-shuhn ]
/ dɪˌsɪm əˈleɪ ʃən /
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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for dissimilation
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
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