meld
1 Americanverb (used with or without object)
noun
verb (used with or without object)
noun
-
the act of melding.
-
any combination of cards to be melded.
verb
noun
-
the act of melding
-
a set of cards for melding
verb
Etymology
Origin of meld1
1935–40; blend of melt 1 and weld 1
Origin of meld2
1895–1900; < German melden to announce; akin to Middle English melden, Old English meldian to make known
Explanation
To meld is to completely combine or blend two or more things. If you meld breakfast and lunch, you get brunch. If you meld jeans and leggings, you get jeggings. Books that are told from the perspectives of more than one character meld different narrators into one coherent story, and complicated recipes meld many different ingredients and flavors. When one thing melds into another, it loses its separate characteristics and blends slowly into the new substance. The origin of meld isn't clear, but some experts guess that it's a combination of melt and weld.
Vocabulary lists containing meld
Portmanteaus: Vocab Mash-Ups
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This Week in Pop Culture: December 1 - 7, 2018
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "K" "L""M" and "N" and "O"
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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 main residence’s light-filled, lofty spaces seamlessly meld together with five bedrooms and 3.5 baths, spanning 3,644 square feet,” reads the listing.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026
Sofi Oksanen’s crystalline Finnish libretto, translated into multiple languages by Aleksi Barrière, Saariaho’s son, takes place on two levels that gradually meld into one.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
“I understand they have a job to do,” she said, gazing toward the tent city, which, from here, seemed to meld toward a vanishing point.
From Slate • Feb. 23, 2026
The olive oil and balsamic meld everything into a glossy, lightly slick coating, while the oranges lend an unexpected pop of perfume that makes each bite feel simultaneously grounded and electric.
From Salon • Dec. 18, 2025
Tables and chairs meld directly into the walls to be part of the ship.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
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.
