Main Entry: elab·o·rate

Pronunciation: \i-ˈlab-ə-ˌrāt\

Function: transitive verb

Inflected Form(s): elab·o·rat·ed; elab·o·rat·ing

of a living organism : to alter the chemical makeup of (as a foodstuff) to one more suited to bodily needs (as of assimilation or excretion) ; especially : to build up (complex organic compounds) from simple ingredients <the toxin elaborated by the tetanus bacterium>