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sub·due (səb-d, -dy)
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tr.v. sub·dued, sub·du·ing, sub·dues
1. To subjugate (a region or people, for example) by military force.
2.
a. To bring under control by physical force, persuasion, or other means; overcome: subdued the wild horse; subdued the rebellion in the party ranks.
b. To make less intense or prominent; reduce or tone down: I was unable to subdue my excitement about the upcoming holiday.
3. To bring (land) under cultivation: Farmers subdued the arid lands of Australia.
[Middle English subduen, alteration (influenced by Latin subdere, to subject) of Old French suduire, to seduce, from Latin subdūcere, to withdraw (probably influenced by Latin sēdūcere, to seduce) : sub-, away; see SUB- + dūcere, to lead; see deuk- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
sub·dua·ble adj.
sub·duer n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. 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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