propagate

[ prop-uh-geyt ]

/ ˈprɒp əˌgeɪt /

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verb (used with object), prop·a·gat·ed, prop·a·gat·ing.

to cause (an organism) to multiply by any process of natural reproduction from the parent stock.

to reproduce (itself, its kind, etc.), as an organism does.

to transmit (hereditary features or elements) to, or through, offspring.

to spread (a report, doctrine, practice, etc.) from person to person; disseminate.

to cause to increase in number or amount.

to create (an effect) at a distance, as by electromagnetic waves, compression waves, etc., traveling through space or a physical medium; transmit: to propagate sound.

verb (used without object), prop·a·gat·ed, prop·a·gat·ing.

to multiply by any process of natural reproduction, as organisms; breed.

to increase in extent, as a structural flaw: The crack will propagate only to this joint.

(of electromagnetic waves, compression waves, etc.) to travel through space or a physical medium.

Nearby words

Origin of propagate

1560–70; < Latin propāgātus (past participle of propāgāre to reproduce (a plant) by cuttings, spread for sprouting, propagate, enlarge), equivalent to propāg(ēs) something set out, scion, slip (pro- pro-¹ + pāg-, base of pangere to fasten + -ēs noun suffix) + -ātus -ate¹

Related forms

prop·a·ga·tive, prop·a·ga·to·ry

[prop-uh-guh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] /ˈprɒp ə gəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, adjectiveprop·a·ga·tor, nounnon·prop·a·ga·tive, adjectiveself-prop·a·gat·ed, adjective

self-prop·a·gat·ing, adjectiveun·prop·a·gat·ed, adjectiveun·prop·a·ga·tive, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for propagate

Anti-abortion organizations tend to tend to propagate the idea that the procedure is dangerous and unproven.
Abortion Complications Are Rare, No Matter What the Right Says|Samantha Allen|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Those who propagate it are considered paranoids or activists with an axe to grind.
Did Putin Blow Up the Whole Polish Government in 2010? A Second Look.|Will Cathcart|April 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Neocon supporters of Netanyahu like David Frum propagate this view as well.
How Obama's Change Message Can Go Global|Eric Alterman|May 18, 2009|DAILY BEAST
He was stern but never oppressive – we knew abuse of power and would not propagate it in our personal lives.
How I Fell in Love in Prison|John Forté|March 13, 2009|DAILY BEAST

The outstanding proof of the artificiality of this civilization is its powerlessness to propagate.
Germany and the Germans|Price Collier
This gave me such confidence in its hardiness that I began to propagate it for sale.
Northern Nut Growers Association Thirty-Fourth Annual Report 1943|Various
They met more often from that day, for Joan was frankly using her two columns in the Sunday Post to propagate his aims.
All Roads Lead to Calvary|Jerome K. Jerome
Several circumstances, moreover, tended to propagate disaffection in the Indian army.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 5|Various
They could not propagate a religion without this special gift of understanding what they were to propagate.
Church and State as Seen in the Formation of Christendom|T. W. Allies

British Dictionary definitions for propagate

propagate

/ (ˈprɒpəˌɡeɪt) /

verb

biology to reproduce or cause to reproduce; breed

(tr) horticulture to produce (plants) by layering, grafting, cuttings, etc

(tr) to promulgate; disseminate

physics to move through, cause to move through, or transmit, esp in the form of a waveto propagate sound

(tr) to transmit (characteristics) from one generation to the next

Derived Formspropagation, nounpropagational, adjectivepropagative, adjective

Word Origin for propagate

C16: from Latin propāgāre to increase (plants) by cuttings, from propāgēs a cutting, from pangere to fasten

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 propagate

propagate

1560s, "to cause to multiply," from Latin propagatus, past participle of propagare "to set forward, extend, procreate" (see propagation). Intransitive sense "reproduce one's kind" is from c.1600. Related: Propagated; propagating.

Medicine definitions for propagate

propagate

[ prŏp′ə-gāt′ ]

v.

To cause an organism to multiply or breed.

To breed offspring.

To transmit characteristics from one generation to another.

To cause to move in some direction or through a medium, such as a wave or nerve impulse.

propagate

verb (used with object), prop·a·gat·ed, prop·a·gat·ing.

verb (used without object), prop·a·gat·ed, prop·a·gat·ing.

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Origin of propagate

Examples from the Web for propagate

propagate

verb

Word Origin for propagate

propagate

propagate

v.