domesticate
duh-MES-tih-kayt
/dəˈmestɪkeɪt/
To tame an animal or cultivate a plant, keeping it as a pet or on a farm, adapting it to human use over generations.
Domesticate refers to a genetic, multi-generational process of adaptation, whereas 'tame' simply refers to training an individual wild animal to tolerate humans.
The story behind the word. Domesticate comes from the Medieval Latin 'domesticatus', which derives from 'domus', the Latin word for house. Literally, to domesticate an animal is to 'bring it into the house' and make it part of the household.
Word relationships
- tame: Tame means to make a single wild animal docile, while domesticate means to genetically adapt an entire species over generations for human use.
- cultivate: Cultivate is used specifically for plants and crops, while domesticate can apply to both animals and plants.
- feralize: Feralize (or go feral) refers to a domesticated animal returning to a wild state.
- wild: Wild describes animals living in their natural state, completely independent of human control.
Commonly confused with
- dominate: Dominate means to control or rule over someone, while domesticate means to adapt a species to live alongside humans.
Word family
- domestication (noun): The process of taming an animal or cultivating a plant.
- domestic (adjective): Relating to the running of a home or to animals kept by humans.
Collocations
- domesticate animals
- fully domesticated
- attempt to domesticate
- domesticated species
Example sentences
- "It is not easy to domesticate the wild animals of the forest, as many possess an inherent resistance to human control." A scientific discussion on the origins of domestic animals.
- "Ancient farmers were eager to domesticate felines because they kept grain stores free of destructive rodents." Explaining the history of our relationship with cats.
Memory hook
Think of doing 'domestic' chores inside your 'domus' (home) with your domesticated pet by your side. Domesticate = Bring home.
When not to use
Do not use domesticate to describe training a single wild animal (e.g., you can tame a tiger, but you cannot domesticate it in one lifetime).
Fun facts
- Cats are the only domesticated species that did not undergo major physical changes from their wild ancestors during the domestication process.
- Genetic evidence suggests that all domestic cats today are descended from the African wildcat (Felis lybica).
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