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Added 9 October 2026

define

/dɪˈfaɪn/ verb

Latin root: dēfīniō Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about define at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To determine with precision; to mark out with distinctness; to ascertain or exhibit clearly.
the defining power of an optical instrument
To settle, decide . .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
To express the essential nature of something.
I define myself as a techno-anarchist.

noun

A kind of macro in source code that replaces one text string with another wherever it occurs.

Origin

From Middle English definen, from Old French definer, variant of definir, from Latin dēfīniō (“limit, settle, define”), from dē + fīniō (“set a limit, bound, end”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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