proliferate
Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
pro·lif·er·ate
(prə-lĭf′ə-rāt′)v. pro·lif·er·at·ed, pro·lif·er·at·ing, pro·lif·er·ates
v.intr.
1. To grow or multiply by rapidly producing new tissue, parts, cells, or offspring.
2. To increase or spread at a rapid rate: fears that nuclear weapons might proliferate.
v.tr.
To cause to grow or increase rapidly.
[Back-formation from proliferation, the act of proliferating, from French prolifération, from prolifère, procreative : Latin prōlēs, prōl-, offspring; see proliferous + Latin -fer, -fer.]
pro·lif′er·a′tion n.
pro·lif′er·a′tive adj.
pro·lif′er·a′tor n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
proliferate
(prəˈlɪfəˌreɪt)vb
1. (Biology) to grow or reproduce (new parts, cells, etc) rapidly
2. to grow or increase or cause to grow or increase rapidly
[C19: from Medieval Latin prōlifer having offspring, from Latin prōlēs offspring + ferre to bear]
proˈliferative adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
pro•lif•er•ate
(prəˈlɪf əˌreɪt)v.i., v.t. -at•ed, -at•ing.
1. to grow or produce by multiplication of parts, as in budding or cell division, or by procreation.
2. to increase in number or spread rapidly.
[1870–75]
pro•lif`er•a′tion, n.
pro•lif′er•a`tive, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
proliferate
Past participle: proliferated
Gerund: proliferating
| Imperative |
|---|
| proliferate |
| proliferate |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. | proliferate - grow rapidly; "Pizza parlors proliferate in this area" grow - become larger, greater, or bigger; expand or gain; "The problem grew too large for me"; "Her business grew fast" proliferate - cause to grow or increase rapidly; "We must not proliferate nuclear arms" |
| 2. | proliferate - cause to grow or increase rapidly; "We must not proliferate nuclear arms" proliferate - grow rapidly; "Pizza parlors proliferate in this area" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
proliferate
verb increase, expand, breed, mushroom, escalate, multiply, burgeon, snowball, run riot, grow rapidly the free Internet services that are proliferating across the world
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
proliferate
verb1. To produce sexually or asexually others of one's kind:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
proliferate
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
proliferate
vi proliferarEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.