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med·i·tate (mĕdĭ-tāt′)
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v. med·i·tat·ed, med·i·tat·ing, med·i·tates
v.intr.
1.
a. To train, calm, or empty the mind, often by achieving an altered state, as by focusing on a single object, especially as a form of religious practice in Buddhism or Hinduism.
b. To engage in focused thought on scriptural passages or on particular doctrines or mysteries of a religion, especially Christianity.
c. To engage in devotional contemplation, especially prayer.
2. To think or reflect, especially in a calm and deliberate manner.
v.tr.
1. To engage in meditation regarding (a religious mystery, for example).
2. To plan in the mind; intend: "Are you really serious in meditating a dance at Netherfield?" (Jane Austen).
[Latin meditārī, meditāt-; see med- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
medi·ta′tor n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2019 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

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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