- complicate
- \ \ see PLY
Word origins - 2ed. J. Ayto. 2005.
complicate
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Complicate — Com pli*cate, a. [L. complicatus, p. p. of complicare to fold together. See {Complex}.] 1. Composed of two or more parts united; complex; complicated; involved. [1913 Webster] How poor, how rich, how abject, how august, How complicate, how… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Complicate — Com pli*cate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Complicated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Complicating}.] To fold or twist together; to combine intricately; to make complex; to combine or associate so as to make intricate or difficult. [1913 Webster] Nor can his… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
complicate — I verb aggravate, bedevil, befoul, confound, confuse, dislocate, disorganize, embroil, encumber, entangle, exacerbate, implicate, intensify, involve, jumble, knot, make intricate, make worse, mix up, muddle, obfuscate, obscure, perplex, perturb,… … Law dictionary
complicate — (v.) 1620s, to intertwine (earlier as a pp. adjective, early 15c.), from L. complicatus folded together; confused, intricate, pp. of complicare (see COMPLICATION (Cf. complication)). Meaning to make more complex is recorded from 1832, from… … Etymology dictionary
complicate — [v] confuse, make difficult add fuel to fire*, bedevil, clog, combine, confound, convolute, derange, disarrange, disorder, elaborate, embroil, entangle, fold, foul up*, handicap, impede, infold, interfuse, interrelate, interweave, involve, jumble … New thesaurus
complicate — ► VERB 1) make more intricate or confusing. 2) Medicine introduce complications in (an existing condition). ORIGIN Latin complicare fold together … English terms dictionary
complicate — [käm′pli kāt΄; ] for adj [., käm′plikit, käm′plikāt΄] vt., vi. complicated, complicating [< L complicatus, pp. of complicare, to fold together < com , together + plicare, to fold, weave: see FLAX] to make or become intricate, difficult, or… … English World dictionary
complicate — [[t]kɒ̱mplɪkeɪt[/t]] complicates, complicating, complicated VERB To complicate something means to make it more difficult to understand or deal with. [V n] What complicates the issue is the burden of history... [V n] The day s events, he said,… … English dictionary
complicate */*/ — UK [ˈkɒmplɪkeɪt] / US [ˈkɑmplɪˌkeɪt] verb [transitive] Word forms complicate : present tense I/you/we/they complicate he/she/it complicates present participle complicating past tense complicated past participle complicated 1) to make something… … English dictionary
complicate — 1. verb a) To fold or twist together; to combine intricately; to make complex; to combine or associate so as to make intricate or difficult. Dont complicate yourself in issues that are beyond the scope of your education. b) to expose involvement… … Wiktionary
complicate — verb ADVERB ▪ enormously, greatly, seriously, significantly ▪ These events will greatly complicate the situation. ▪ further PHRASES … Collocations dictionary
