/əˈdɒpt/, /əˈdɑpt/
OriginFrom Middle French adopter, from Latin adoptō; ad + optō (“to choose, desire”), equivalent to ad- + opt.
- transitiveTo take voluntarily (a child of other parents) to be in the place of, or as, one's own child.
“A friend of mine recently adopted a Chinese baby girl found on the streets of Beijing.”
- transitiveTo obtain (a pet) from a shelter or the wild.
“We're going to adopt a Dalmatian.”
- transitiveTo contribute towards the upkeep of (a child or animal), in exchange for occasional stories, pictures, etc.
“We adopted an elephant at the local zoo.”
- transitiveTo take by choice into the scope of one's responsibility.
“This supermarket chain adopts several families every Yuletide, providing them with money and groceries for the holidays.”
“Sixteen years ago, the station entered into a new chapter when it was adopted by the Friends of Chirk Station (FoCS) volunteer group, under the Arriva Trains Wales Station Adopters programme.”
- transitiveTo take or receive as one's own what is not so naturally.
“He adopted a new look in order to fit in with his new workmates.”
“[S]he [Edwina, mother of Tennessee Williams] was indeed Amanda [Wingfield, character in Williams' play The Glass Menagerie] in the flesh: a doughty chatterbox from Ohio who adopted the manner of a Sou”
- transitiveTo select and take or approve.
“to adopt the view or policy of another”
“These are resolutions that were adopted.”
“Every society should adopt an order of business adapted to its special wants.”
- slang, transitiveTo beat an opponent ten times in a row.
“The match was not even close; the IM made amateurish blunders and ended up getting adopted.”
“Nakamura 'Adopts' Komodo On Fathers Day: 20.5-2.5”
“Wednesday's event will offer the Russian grandmaster three opportunities to adopt Rensch, though just like in the Speed Chess Championship, Nepomniachtchi will have to race against the clock.”
- abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal, transitiveClipping of adoptable.
Formsadopts(present, singular, third-person) · adopting(participle, present) · adopted(participle, past) · adopted(past) · adopt(infinitive) · adopt(first-person, present, singular) · adopted(first-person, past, singular) · adopt(present, second-person, singular) · adoptest(archaic, present, second-person, singular) · adopted(past, second-person, singular) · adoptedst(archaic, past, second-person, singular) · adopteth(archaic, present, singular, third-person) · adopted(past, singular, third-person) · adopt(plural, present) · adopted(past, plural) · adopt(present, subjunctive) · adopted(past, subjunctive) · adopt(imperative, present) · -(imperative, past) · adopts(plural)