do·mes·ti·cate
də-ˈme-sti-ˌkāt 
domesticated; domesticating
1
2
: to adapt (an animal or plant) over time from a wild or natural state especially by selective breeding to life in close association with and to the benefit of humans
The Asian equids, including the now-endangered Przewalski's horse, apparently provided the stock from which the horse was domesticated five to six thousand years ago.—
Bruce J. MacFadden
Bruce J. MacFaddenBut every reader addicted to coffee can thank ancient Ethiopian farmers for domesticating the coffee plant.—Jared Diamond
Jared Diamond3
: to cause to become adapted to life in a household : to make fit for domestic life
wasn't interested in becoming domesticated
4
: to bring to the level of ordinary people
do·mes·ti·cate
də-ˈme-sti-kət
-ˌkāt
: a domesticated (see domesticate entry 1 sense 2) animal or plant
Examples of domesticate in a Sentence
Verb
Horses and oxen have been domesticated to work on farms.
She jokes that dogs are easier to domesticate than men.
Recent Examples on the WebLongreads, 17 May 2024
Finding a straightforward answer is tricky, especially when not even domesticated animals like dogs and cats receive proper treatment all the time.
—Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for domesticate 
Verb
Kitty Snows is a cat who participated in the Blue Collar Cat program, a scheme to rehome strays that cannot be domesticated (having witnessed too much on the streets).
—Longreads, 17 May 2024
Finding a straightforward answer is tricky, especially when not even domesticated animals like dogs and cats receive proper treatment all the time.
—Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for domesticate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'domesticate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near domesticate
Cite this Entry
“Domesticate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/domesticate. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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