propagate

[prop-uh-geyt] /ˈprɒp əˌgeɪt/
verb (used with object), propagated, propagating.
1.
to cause (an organism) to multiply by any process of natural reproduction from the parent stock.
2.
to reproduce (itself, its kind, etc.), as an organism does.
3.
to transmit (hereditary features or elements) to, or through, offspring.
4.
to spread (a report, doctrine, practice, etc.) from person to person; disseminate.
5.
to cause to increase in number or amount.
6.
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), propagated, propagating.
7.
to multiply by any process of natural reproduction, as organisms; breed.
8.
to increase in extent, as a structural flaw:
The crack will propagate only to this joint.
9.
(of electromagnetic waves, compression waves, etc.) to travel through space or a physical medium.
Origin
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
propagative, propagatory
[prop-uh-guh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] /ˈprɒp ə gəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/ (Show IPA), adjective
propagator, noun
nonpropagative, adjective
self-propagated, adjective
self-propagating, adjective
unpropagated, adjective
unpropagative, adjective
Examples from the web for propagate
  • The ground is also drier and thus may propagate waves more efficiently.
  • Second, it is necessary to develop and propagate an ideology that opposes technology and the industrial system.
  • We need to propagate success, and not disregard new tools because they sometimes fail to live up to our idealistic expectations.
  • That's because code is so fragile, and simple changes can propagate in complex and unpredictable ways.
  • In this state, the leader needs a tool to propagate why he should be in charge of the country.
  • The world is a frightening enough place without folks who deceptively propagate false horror stories for their own aggrandizement.
  • Successful viruses keep their hosts alive and well in order to propagate more successfully.
  • They operate in the same way to confirm and propagate a bad way of thinking as a good way of thinking.
  • But light also records smaller sub-wavelength details in its evanescent components, which do not propagate.
  • Importantly, the energy that's accessed by the device is nonradiative--that is, it doesn't propagate over great distances.
British Dictionary definitions for propagate

propagate

/ˈprɒpəˌɡeɪt/
verb
1.
(biology) to reproduce or cause to reproduce; breed
2.
(transitive) (horticulture) to produce (plants) by layering, grafting, cuttings, etc
3.
(transitive) to promulgate; disseminate
4.
(physics) to move through, cause to move through, or transmit, esp in the form of a wave: to propagate sound
5.
(transitive) to transmit (characteristics) from one generation to the next
Derived Forms
propagation, noun
propagational, adjective
propagative, adjective
Word Origin
C16: from Latin propāgāre to increase (plants) by cuttings, from propāgēs a cutting, from pangere to fasten
Word Origin and History for propagate
v.

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.

propagate in Medicine

propagate prop·a·gate (prŏp'ə-gāt')
v. prop·a·gat·ed, prop·a·gat·ing, prop·a·gates

  1. To cause an organism to multiply or breed.

  2. To breed offspring.

  3. To transmit characteristics from one generation to another.

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