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con·nect

(kə-nĕkt)

v. con·nect·ed, con·nect·ing, con·nects

v.tr.

1. To join or fasten together: a bridge that connects the island with the mainland.

2. To associate or consider as related: no reason to connect the two events. See Synonyms at join.

3. To join to or by means of a communications circuit: Please connect me to the number in San Diego. Her computer is connected to the internet.

4. To plug in (an electrical cord or device) to an outlet.

v.intr.

1. To become joined or united: two streams connecting to form a river.

2. To be scheduled so as to provide continuing service, as between airplanes or buses.

3. To establish a rapport or relationship; relate: The candidate failed to connect with the voters.

4. Sports To hit or play a ball or puck successfully: The winger connected for two goals.

Idiom:

connect the dots

1. To draw connecting lines between a seemingly random arrangement of numbered dots so as to produce a picture or design.

2. To draw logical inferences connecting items of information to reveal something previously hidden or unknown.

[Middle English connecten, from Latin cōnectere, connectere : cō-, com-, com- + nectere, to bind; see ned- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

con·necti·ble, con·necta·ble adj.

con·nector, con·necter n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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