entrain
1 Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb (used with object)
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Chemistry. (of a substance, as a vapor) to carry along (a dissimilar substance, as drops of liquid) during a given process, as evaporation or distillation.
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(of a liquid) to trap (bubbles).
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Meteorology. to transfer (air) into an organized air current from the surrounding atmosphere (opposed to detrain).
verb
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(of a liquid or gas) to carry along (drops of liquid, bubbles, etc), as in certain distillations
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to disperse (air bubbles) through concrete in order to increase its resistance to frost
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zoology to adjust (an internal rhythm of an organism) so that it synchronizes with an external cycle, such as that of light and dark
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of entrain1
First recorded in 1880–85; en- 1 + train
Origin of entrain2
First recorded in 1560–70; from Middle French entrainer, equivalent to en- verb prefix + trainer “to drag, trail”; see en- 1, train
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 cilia at a border region take the role as a pacemaker which entrain other cilia one after another," Hickey summarizes the findings.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2023
"They also produce as much as 30% more flooding rainfall due to a combination of more evaporation from a warmer ocean surface and stronger winds that entrain more moisture into the storms."
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2022
I would agree with Sochacki: if a mechanical wave is indeed part of nerve conduction, then it seems plausible that the mechanical and electrical signals might entrain and reinforce each other.
From Scientific American ● Aug. 3, 2018
They found their answer in the work of Gary Settles, a mechanical engineering professor at Penn State whose research had shown that humans produce thermal plumes that emanate from our bodies and entrain gaseous particles.
From New York Times ● Jul. 27, 2015
At seven that last night, our whole group was scheduled to entrain for London, where, as rumor had it, we were to be assigned to infantry and airborne divisions mustered for the D Day landings.
From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger
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.
