inseminate

[in-sem-uh-neyt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR inseminate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), in·sem·i·nat·ed, in·sem·i·nat·ing.

to inject semen into (the female reproductive tract); impregnate.

to sow; implant seed into.

to sow as seed in something; implant: to inseminate youth with new ideas.

Origin of inseminate

1615–25; < Latin insēminātus past participle of insēmināre to implant, impregnate, equivalent to in- in-² + sēminātus (equivalent to sēminā(re) to sow, derivative of sēmen seed (cf. semen) + -tus past participle suffix)

Related formsin·sem·i·na·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for inseminate

fertilize, implant, seed, promulgate, sow

Examples from the Web for inseminate

Contemporary Examples of inseminate

Or, alternatively, we could run away scot-free down Fifth Avenue and pause now and then to inseminate someone.
The Ridiculousness of Father's Day
P. J. O’Rourke
June 15, 2014
They were given a hand-drawn booklet that taught lesbians how to inseminate themselves using a turkey baster.
Thank God My Moms Are Lesbians
Ry Russo-Young
June 21, 2010

British Dictionary definitions for inseminate

inseminate

verb (tr)

to impregnate (a female) with semen

to introduce (ideas or attitudes) into the mind of (a person or group)

Derived Formsinsemination, nouninseminator, noun

Word Origin for inseminate

C17: from Latin insēmināre, from in- ² + sēmināre to sow, from sēmen seed

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

Word Origin and History for inseminate

1620s, "to cast as seed," from Latin inseminatus, past participle of inseminare "to sow, implant," from in- "in" (see in- (2)) + semen (genitive semenis) "seed." Meaning "to impregnate with semen" is attested from 1923. Related: Inseminated; inseminating.

inseminate in Medicine

inseminate

[ĭn-sĕm′ə-nāt′]

v.

To introduce or inject semen into the reproductive tract of a female.

Related formsin•sem′i•na′tion n.