Main Entry:

¹com·bine

Pronunciation:

\kəm-ˈbīn\

Function:

verb

Inflected Form(s):

com·bined; com·bin·ing

Etymology:

Middle English, from Middle French combiner, from Late Latin combinare, from Latin com- + bini two by two — more at bin-

Date:

15th century

transitive verb1 a: to bring into such close relationship as to obscure individual characters : merge <two companies combining forces> b: to cause to unite into a chemical compound c: to unite into a single number or expression <combine fractions and simplify>2: intermix, blend <combine the sugar and flour>3: to possess in combination <a writer whose works combine imagination and scholarship>intransitive verb1 a: to become one b: to unite to form a chemical compound2: to act together <many factors combined to cause the recession>

synonyms see join

— com·bin·able \-ˈbī-nə-bəl\ adjective

— com·bin·er noun