Home North American English originate

Definition of originate in US English:

originate

verb

1no object, with adverbial Have a specified beginning.
‘the word originated as a marketing term’
- ‘This scripture probably originated in China itself around the beginning of the 8th century.’
- ‘Christmas cactus originates in the jungles of South America.’
- ‘Salsas, which originate in Mexico and South America, are a cross between a sauce and a salad.’
- ‘Though the word originates from the Latin debere, it comes via the Old French dette.’
- ‘It's just new to regions outside of the south where it originates.’
- ‘The spectacled caiman, which originates from South and Central America, has a boney ridge around its eyes which makes it look as if it is wearing glasses.’
- ‘Did you know the word woot originated from the early eighties and was used by hackers when they gained root access to a system?’
- ‘It turns out that this train was one that originates at Market East, so it came into the station a few minutes early.’
- ‘The seeds used to grow the diseased potatoes are believed to have originated in Holland.’
- ‘Nicoise salad is a famous composed salad that originated in the south of France.’
- ‘Alpacas originate from South America and in particular Peru, Chile and Bolivia.’
- ‘The exotic creature, which originates from central and South America, is probably an escaped pet.’
- ‘The animal, which is similar to a llama, is fairly new to this country and originates from South America.’
- ‘Chemical industries certainly originated in the south of England.’
- ‘The cranial component originates in the brain stem and leaves through the base of the skull in the vagus nerves.’
- ‘All isolates of C. fulvum collected to date originate from commercially grown tomatoes.’
- ‘The name originates from the word for crab, the term for the two creatures being almost interchangeable in early cultures.’
- ‘The word originates in Catalonia, which produces most but not all Cava, where it means cellar.’
- ‘Hopefully those people originating from south of the Trent now resident in and around York will have a good sense of humour and dismiss his remarks with a grin.’
- ‘Deschauer said the water originates from the south, an area of pasture and woodland.’
arise, have its origin, derive, begin, start, stem, spring, emerge, develop, grow, rise, flow, emanate, issue
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1. 1.1with object Create or initiate (something)
  ‘he is responsible for originating this particular cliché’
  ‘It's hard to originate new ideas and attitudes while surrounded by layers of aging mental clutter.’
  ‘He's also given credit for originating the no-look pass and the behind-the-back dribble.’
  ‘He originated the idea of a negawatt, a unit electricity which is simply not used.’
  ‘So you do not get a reference for a delay; you are generating and originating your own procedures by constant review from a time point?’
  ‘The person who originated the message is hidden from the email trace.’
  ‘The concept was originated by William Smith, a surveyor, in the latter part of the eighteenth century.’
  ‘William Saffire credits William Shakespeare with originating the metaphor.’
  ‘Singers should originate and initiate ideas that are new to the market.’
  ‘He begins the review in a fantasy world in which Darwin did not originate the concept of natural selection.’
  ‘The system allows users to silently monitor phone lines, or originate calls on other people's lines, Mitnick said.’
  ‘Musically, however, he's immersed himself in Baker ever since originating the role for the Passe Muraille run.’
  ‘The Commission also has the budgetary initiative, and therefore originates the preliminary draft budget which is put before the Council.’
  ‘This is what Hindu thought has done, however, in originating the concept of dharma.’
  ‘We didn't go out and originate a track in India with a tabla player and then build upon that.’
  ‘Benny Lynch originated the stereotype of the ill-omened Scottish champion.’
  ‘He depicts a comedienne who was not a wildly improvisational good-time girl originating soundbites like a female Oscar Wilde.’
  ‘Seed germination is a developmental process of reactivation of metabolism to originate a new plant.’
  ‘Gardeners serving at stately homes in Yorkshire originated the tradition of forcing rhubarb into growth.’
  ‘There are only a few people who can say that they originated the idea to send a European spacecraft to Mars.’
  ‘If she gets back to Broadway, Braxton hopes to originate a role and not just step into a role created by someone else.’
  invent, be the inventor of, create, initiate, devise, think up, dream up, coin, conceive, design, concoct, contrive, formulate, form, evolve, develop, generate, engender, produce, discover, set in motion, set up, put in place, inaugurate, launch, mastermind, pioneer, introduce, establish, institute, bring about, found, give birth to, be the father of, be the mother of
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