do·mes·ti·cate
də-ˈme-sti-ˌkāt 
domesticated; domesticating
1
2
: to adapt (an animal or plant) over time from a wild or natural state especially by selective breeding to life in close association with and to the benefit of humans
The Asian equids, including the now-endangered Przewalski's horse, apparently provided the stock from which the horse was domesticated five to six thousand years ago.—
Bruce J. MacFadden
Bruce J. MacFaddenBut every reader addicted to coffee can thank ancient Ethiopian farmers for domesticating the coffee plant.—Jared Diamond
Jared Diamond3
: to cause to become adapted to life in a household : to make fit for domestic life
wasn't interested in becoming domesticated
4
: to bring to the level of ordinary people
do·mes·ti·cate
də-ˈme-sti-kət
-ˌkāt
: a domesticated (see domesticate entry 1 sense 2) animal or plant
Examples of domesticate in a Sentence
Verb
Horses and oxen have been domesticated to work on farms.
She jokes that dogs are easier to domesticate than men.
Recent Examples on the WebLaura Helmuth, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2024
Some 15,000 years since humans first domesticated the wolf, scientists have learned that different barks mean different things—for instance, dogs use lower, longer barks for strangers—but our understanding of dog communication remains rather limited.
—Caroline Mimbs Nyce, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024
Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 11 Jan. 2024
These animals and crops were gradually joined by China’s many other domesticates.
—Jared Diamond, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
See all Example Sentences for domesticate 
Verb
Farmers began domesticating apples sometime between 10,000 and 4,000 years ago in the Tian Shan Mountains of Central Asia, according to genetic analyses.
—Laura Helmuth, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2024
Some 15,000 years since humans first domesticated the wolf, scientists have learned that different barks mean different things—for instance, dogs use lower, longer barks for strangers—but our understanding of dog communication remains rather limited.
—Caroline Mimbs Nyce, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024
Noun
As the world’s first domesticates, dogs were tamed and domesticated gradually through the generations.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 11 Jan. 2024
These animals and crops were gradually joined by China’s many other domesticates.
—Jared Diamond, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
See all Example Sentences for domesticate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'domesticate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near domesticate
Cite this Entry
“Domesticate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/domesticate. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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