domesticate
gb/dəmˈɛstɪkɪt/ us/dəmˈɛstɪkɪt/
B2
English
megszelídít, háziasít, domesztikál, honosít, lokalizál, belföldön elismertet
VERB
B2
1
megszelídít
B2
Usage pattern:
domesticate [an animal]
Early humans learned to domesticate dogs to help with hunting and protection.
Az ősemberek megtanulták megszelídíteni a kutyákat, hogy segítsenek a vadászatban és a védelemben.
Some people try to domesticate wild animals, but it often causes stress for the animal.
Vannak, akik megpróbálják megszelídíteni a vadállatokat, de ez gyakran stresszt okoz az állatnak.
The sanctuary does not domesticate its rescued wolves; it keeps them as wild as possible.
Learner examples
People domesticated dogs a long time ago.
Az emberek nagyon régen szelídítették meg a kutyákat.
It is hard to domesticate a wild animal.
Nehéz megszelídíteni egy vadállatot.
Common mistake:
Learners often use domesticate when they mean train a pet (teach commands); domesticate focuses on making an animal not wild.
Meaning
tame an animal for people
Collocations
domesticate an animal
|domesticate a wild animal
|domesticate a fox
|domesticate a wolf
|domesticate a rabbit
|successfully domesticate
|attempt to domesticate
|partially domesticate
Synonyms
tame (More common and general; emphasizes making an animal not wild.)
|
train (Focuses on teaching behavior or commands, not changing wildness.)
Antonyms
rewild (To return an animal to living independently in the wild.)
|
release (To let an animal go free rather than keep it under human control.)
Themes
animals
|nature
|daily_life
Definition
To train a wild animal to live with people.
To make an animal, especially a wild one, gentle and able to live with or be controlled by people.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
2
háziasít
B2
domesztikál
C2
Usage pattern:
domesticate [a species/plant/crop]
Scientists debate where and when people first domesticated horses.
A tudósok vitatják, hol és mikor háziasította először az ember a lovakat.
Over time, farmers domesticated wild grasses into the crops we eat today.
Idővel a gazdák a vadfüveket olyan haszonnövényekké háziasították, amelyeket ma is eszünk.
It can take centuries to domesticate a plant for reliable harvests.
Learner examples
Farmers domesticated many plants for food.
A gazdák sok növényt háziasítottak, hogy ételként termesszék őket.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse taming an individual animal with domestication of a whole species (which takes generations).
Meaning
breed a species for human use
Collocations
domesticate a species
|domesticate a crop
|domesticate wheat
|domesticate maize
|domesticate cattle
|domesticate over centuries
|selectively domesticate
|the domestication of
Synonyms
cultivate (Usually refers to growing plants; does not necessarily include genetic change over generations.)
|
breed (Emphasizes reproduction and selection, but can be used without the broader idea of turning a wild species into a domesticated one.)
Antonyms
rewild (To restore a species or population to a wilder state and reduced human control.)
Themes
animals
|agriculture
|science
|history
Definition
To breed plants or animals for people to use.
To change a wild plant or animal species over many generations by breeding and human selection so that it becomes suited to living with people or being used by people.
VERB
C1
FORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
domesticate [something] for [an audience/market/place]
The company domesticated its advertising campaign to fit local tastes.
A cég a helyi ízléshez igazította a reklámkampányát.
Some translations domesticate cultural references so readers don’t feel lost.
Egyes fordítások honosítják a kulturális utalásokat, hogy az olvasók ne érezzék magukat elveszettnek.
The museum tried not to domesticate the artifacts by stripping away their original context.
Learner examples
They domesticated the app for the Japanese market.
A japán piacra igazították az alkalmazást.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with import; domesticate means adapt after bringing something in.
Meaning
adapt something to local culture
Collocations
domesticate a product
|domesticate a brand
|domesticate a concept
|domesticate a story
|domesticate an idea
|domesticate for a local audience
|heavily domesticated version
|culturally domesticate
Synonyms
adapt (Broader and more common; does not specifically imply making something feel local.)
|
localize (Common in business/tech; focuses on tailoring for a specific language/region.)
|
naturalize (Often implies making something seem native or normal in a new setting.)
Antonyms
foreignize (In translation and culture, to keep the foreign feel rather than making it local.)
Themes
culture
|media
|business
|language
Definition
To make something foreign feel local and familiar.
To change something from another place or culture so it seems familiar and works well in a new local context.
VERB
C2
LEGAL
4
Usage pattern:
domesticate [a foreign judgment/order] in [a jurisdiction/state/country]
They hired a lawyer to domesticate the foreign judgment in their home state.
Ügyvédet fogadtak, hogy a külföldi ítéletet a saját államukban elismertessék.
The court agreed to domesticate the order so it could be enforced locally.
A bíróság beleegyezett a határozat belföldi elismerésébe, hogy helyben is végre lehessen hajtani.
Common mistake:
This meaning is legal and is not related to animals or the home.
Meaning
make a foreign court order enforceable
Collocations
domesticate a foreign judgment
|domesticate an out-of-state judgment
|move to domesticate
|petition to domesticate
|domesticate in the state
|domesticate in the jurisdiction
Synonyms
recognize (More general; may not imply the procedural step needed for enforcement.)
|
enforce (Focuses on carrying out the judgment; domesticate focuses on making it enforceable locally.)
Antonyms
refuse to recognize (To deny legal effect to the foreign judgment.)
Themes
law
|government
|business
Definition
In law, to make a foreign court decision valid locally.
To have a judgment or legal order from another jurisdiction officially recognized so it can be enforced in the local jurisdiction.
Grammar
Dictionary form
domesticate
IPA
GB/dəmˈɛstɪkɪt/
US/dəmˈɛstɪkɪt/
Syllables & stress
do - mest - ic - ate (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (mest)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: domesticate
- 3rd Person Singular: domesticates
- Present Participle: domesticating
- Past: domesticated
Word family
Forms
domesticates
verb
domesticating
verb
domesticated
verb
Core family
domestication
noun C1
domestic
adjective B1
Related words
domestically
adverb B2
Negative and opposite forms
undomesticated
adjective
Advanced or less common
domesticity
noun C1
Expressions
domesticate a text
1/dəmˈɛstɪkˌeɪt ə tˈɛkst/
fixed phrase
technical
make a translation feel local
To change a translated text to fit the reader’s culture.
Examples
- The translator chose to domesticate the text by replacing unfamiliar foods with local ones.
- Some editors prefer not to domesticate a text too much because it can erase cultural differences.
domesticated animal
1/dəmˈɛstɪkˌeɪtɪd ˈænəməl/
fixed phrase
animal bred for human life
An animal that lives with people, like a cow or a dog.
Examples
- A cow is a domesticated animal, not a wild one.
- Domesticated animals often depend on humans for food and shelter.
Learner examples
- A dog is a domesticated animal.
domesticated plant
1/dəmˈɛstɪkˌeɪtɪd plˈænt/
fixed phrase
plant bred for farming
A plant that people grow and have changed by farming.
Examples
- Modern corn is a domesticated plant that looks very different from its wild ancestors.
- Many domesticated plants cannot easily survive without human care.
Learner examples
- Wheat is a domesticated plant.