conjugate

[ verb kon-juh-geyt; adjective noun kon-juh-git, -geyt ]

verb (used with object)

, con·ju·gat·ed, con·ju·gat·ing.

1. Grammar.
   1. to inflect (a verb).
   2. to recite or display all or some subsets of the inflected forms of (a verb), in a fixed order:

      One conjugates the present tense of the verb “be” as “I am, you are, he is, we are, you are, they are.”

2. to join together, especially in marriage.

verb (used without object)

, con·ju·gat·ed, con·ju·gat·ing.

1. Biology. to unite; to undergo conjugation.
2. Grammar. to be characterized by conjugation:

   The Latin verb esse does not conjugate in the passive voice.

adjective

1. joined together, especially in a pair or pairs; coupled.
2. Botany. (of a pinnate leaf ) having only one pair of leaflets.
3. Grammar. (of words) having a common derivation.
4. Bibliography. (of two leaves in a book) forming one sheet.
5. Mathematics.
   1. (of two points, lines, etc.) so related as to be interchangeable in the enunciation of certain properties.
   2. (of an element) so related to a second element of a group that there exists a third element of the group that, multiplying one element on the right and the other element on the left, results in equal elements.
   3. (of two complex numbers) differing only in the sign of the imaginary part.
6. Chemistry.
   1. of or noting two or more liquids in equilibrium with one another.
   2. (of an acid and a base) related by the loss or gain of a proton:

      NH3 is a base conjugate to NH4+.

      NH4+ is an acid conjugate to NH3.

   3. Also conju·gated. (of an organic compound) containing two or more double bonds each separated from the other by a single bond.

noun

1. one of a group of conjugate words.
2. Mathematics.
   1. either of two conjugate points, lines, etc.
   2. Also called complex conjugate, either of a pair of complex numbers of the type a + bi and a − bi, where a and b are real numbers and i is imaginary.

conjugate

verb

1. tr grammar to inflect (a verb) systematically; state or set out the conjugation of (a verb)
2. intr (of a verb) to undergo inflection according to a specific set of rules
3. tr to join (two or more substances) together, esp in such a way that the resulting substance may easily be turned back into its original components
4. intr biology to undergo conjugation
5. obsolete.
   tr to join together, esp in marriage

adjective

1. joined together in pairs; coupled
2. Maths
   1. (of two angles) having a sum of 360°
   2. (of two complex numbers) differing only in the sign of the imaginary part as 4 + 3i and 4 – 3i
   3. (of two algebraic numbers) being roots of the same irreducible algebraic equation with rational coefficients

      3 ± 2 √2 are conjugate algebraic numbers, being roots of x² – 6x + 1

   4. (of two elements of a square matrix) interchanged when the rows and columns are interchanged
   5. (of two arcs) forming a complete circle or other closed curved figure
3. chem of, denoting, or concerning the state of equilibrium in which two liquids can exist as two separate phases that are both solutions. The liquid that is the solute in one phase is the solvent in the other
4. another word for conjugated
5. chem (of acids and bases) related by loss or gain of a proton

   HCl is the conjugate acid of Cl–

   Cl–is the conjugate base of HCl

6. physics
   1. joined by a reciprocal relationship, such as in the case of two quantities, points, etc, that are interchangeable with respect to the properties of each of them
   2. (of points connected with a lens) having the property that an object placed at one point will produce an image at the other point
7. (of a compound leaf) having one pair of leaflets
8. (of words) cognate; related in origin

noun

1. one of a pair or set of conjugate substances, values, quantities, words, etc

Derived Forms

• ˈconjuˌgator, noun
• ˈconjuˌgative, adjective
• ˈconjugable, adjective
• ˈconjugately, adverb
• ˈconjugateness, noun

Other Words From

• con·ju·ga·ble [kon, -j, uh, -g, uh, -b, uh, l], adjective
• conju·ga·bly adverb
• conju·gative adjective
• conju·gator noun
• mis·conju·gate verb misconjugated misconjugating
• non·conju·gate adjective noun
• un·conju·gated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of conjugate¹

1425–75; late Middle English (adj.) < Latin conjugātus (past participle of conjugāre to yoke together), equivalent to con- con- + jug ( um ) yoke ¹ + -ātus -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of conjugate¹

C15: from Latin conjugāre to join together, from com- together + jugāre to marry, connect, from jugum a yoke

Example Sentences

He cites antibody-based therapies as additional promising approaches, among them antibody drug conjugates and “bi-specific” antibodies.

From Washington Post

Antibody-drug conjugates are just one of several new “targeted” treatments for bladder cancer.

From Time

By far the most important of the conjugate sulphates and representative of the group is potassium indoxyl sulphate.

From Project Gutenberg

I had an old maid English teacher when I was a boy who made us conjugate to like instead of the more intimate and tender word.

From Project Gutenberg

When at last I dozed, in sheer exhaustion of mind and body, it became a vast shadowy verb which I had to conjugate.

From Project Gutenberg

I warrant we shall smile some day at our present desperate straits, and meanwhile "to wait" is the verb we must conjugate.'

From Project Gutenberg

When two ciliated infusoria conjugate they place themselves side by side, and connect for a time by means of a bridge of plasm.

From Project Gutenberg