dissimilate

views updated May 14 2018

dis·sim·i·late / diˈsiməˌlāt/ • v. [tr.] Linguistics change (a sound in a word) in order to be unlike the sounds near it: in “pilgrim,” from Latin “peregrinus,” the first “r” is dissimilated to “l.” ∎  [intr.] (of a sound) undergo such a change: the first “r” dissimilates to “l.”DERIVATIVES: dis·sim·i·la·tion / -ˌsiməˈlāshən/ n.dis·sim·i·la·to·ry / -ləˌtôrē/ adj.

More From encyclopedia.com