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incept

[ in-sept ]
/ ɪnˈsɛpt /
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See synonyms for: incepted on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
to take in; ingest.
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Origin of incept

First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin inceptus, past participle of incipere “to begin, undertake,” equivalent to in- “in” + cep- (combining form of cap- “to take”) + -tus past participle suffix; the sense “to take in” by literal translation of prefix and base; see in-2, captive

OTHER WORDS FROM incept

in·cep·tor, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use incept in a sentence

  • He has been the inceptor often, and always a worker, in every public event in the town.

    Historic Fredericksburg|John T. Goolrick
  • The proceedings were terminated by a speech delivered by the presiding master in praise of the inceptor.

    The Grey Friars in Oxford|Andrew G. Little
  • Causa est quia dicit se plura beneficia a parentibus consequuturum si fuerit inceptor quam non.

    The Grey Friars in Oxford|Andrew G. Little

British Dictionary definitions for incept

incept
/ (ɪnˈsɛpt) /

verb (tr)
(of organisms) to ingest (food)
British (formerly) to take a master's or doctor's degree at a university
noun
botany a rudimentary organ

Derived forms of incept

inceptor, noun

Word Origin for incept

C19: from Latin inceptus begun, attempted, from incipere to begin, take in hand, from in- ² + capere to take
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
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