Dictionary

1aggregate

adjective ag·gre·gate \ˈa-gri-gət\

: formed by adding together two or more amounts

Full Definition of AGGREGATE

:  formed by the collection of units or particles into a body, mass, or amount :  collective: as
a (1) :  clustered in a dense mass or head <an aggregate flower>
(2) :  formed from several separate ovaries of a single flower <aggregate fruit>
b :  composed of mineral crystals of one or more kinds or of mineral rock fragments
c :  taking all units as a whole <aggregate sales>
ag·gre·gate·ly adverb
ag·gre·gate·ness noun
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Examples of AGGREGATE

  1. There were to be thirty-seven playgrounds, twenty schools. There were to be a hundred and thirty-three miles of street, paved with an inch and a half of No. 2 macadam on an aggregate base. —Joan Didion, New Yorker, 26 July 1993

Origin of AGGREGATE

Middle English aggregat, from Latin aggregatus, past participle of aggregare to add to, from ad- + greg-, grex flock
First Known Use: 15th century

2aggregate

verb ag·gre·gate \ˈa-gri-ˌgāt\

: to join or combine into a single group

: to equal a specified number or amount

ag·gre·gat·edag·gre·gat·ing

Full Definition of AGGREGATE

transitive verb
1
:  to collect or gather into a mass or whole
2
:  to amount to (a whole sum or total) :  total

Examples of AGGREGATE

  1. The problem, in this case, is that the synergy creates incentives for segregation. Ethnic advertisers scour the TV schedule for shows and channels that aggregate viewers of the type the client wants to reach … —Tamar Jacoby, New Republic, 24 Jan. 2000

Origin of AGGREGATE

(see 1aggregate)
First Known Use: 15th century

Rhymes with AGGREGATE

abdicate, abnegate, abrogate, acclimate, acerbate, acetate, activate, actuate, acylate, adsorbate, advocate, adulate, adumbrate, aggravate, agitate, allocate, altercate, ambulate, amputate, animate, annotate, annulate, antedate, antiquate, apartheid, apostate, approbate, arbitrate, arcuate, arrogate, aspirate, auscultate, automate, aviate, bantamweight, Bering Strait, bifurcate, billingsgate, bipinnate, boilerplate, bombinate, brachiate, buffer state, cabinmate, cachinnate, calculate, calibrate, caliphate, candidate, cannulate, cantillate, capitate, captivate, carbonate, carbon-date, carinate, carload rate, castigate, catenate, cavitate, celebrate, cerebrate, chlorinate, circinate, circulate, city-state, client state, cogitate, colligate, collimate, collocate, commentate, commutate, compensate, complicate, concentrate, condensate, confiscate, conglobate, conjugate, consecrate, constellate, consternate, constipate, consummate, contemplate, copperplate, copulate, coronate, correlate, corrugate, coruscate, counterweight, crepitate, criminate, cruciate, cucullate, culminate, cultivate, cumulate, cuneate, cupulate, cuspidate, cyclamate, Davis Strait, deaerate, decimate, decollate, decorate, decussate, defalcate, defecate, deflagrate, dehydrate, delegate, demarcate, demonstrate, denigrate, Denmark Strait, depilate, deviate, deprecate, depredate, derivate, derogate, desecrate, desiccate, designate, desolate, desquamate, detonate, devastate, deviate, digitate, diplomate, discarnate, dislocate, dissertate, dissipate, distillate, divagate, dominate, double date, edentate, educate, elevate, elongate, eluate, emanate, emigrate, emirate, emulate, enervate, ephorate, escalate, estimate, estivate, excavate, exchange rate, exculpate, execrate, expiate, explicate, expurgate, exsiccate, extirpate, extricate, exudate, fabricate, fascinate, fashion plate, featherweight, fecundate, federate, fenestrate, festinate, fibrillate, first estate, flagellate, flocculate, fluctuate, fluoridate, foliate, formulate, fornicate, fourth estate, fractionate, fragmentate, fulminate, fumigate, fustigate, geminate, generate, germinate, glaciate, Golden Gate, graduate, granulate, gratulate, gravitate, heavyweight, hebetate, herniate, hesitate, hibernate, Hudson Strait, hundredweight, hyphenate, ideate, imamate, imbricate, imitate, immigrate, immolate, impetrate, implicate, imprecate, impregnate, incarnate, increate, incubate, inculcate, inculpate, incurvate, indagate, indicate, indurate, infiltrate, in-line skate, in-migrate, innervate, innovate, insensate, inspissate, instigate, insulate, interstate, intestate, intimate, intonate, intraplate, inundate, invocate, iodate, irrigate, irritate, isolate, iterate, jubilate, juniorate, lacerate, laminate, Latinate, laureate, legislate, levigate, levitate, liberate, license plate, liquidate, litigate, littermate, lubricate, macerate, machinate, magistrate, marginate, margravate, marinate, masticate, masturbate, maturate, mediate, medicate, meditate, meliorate, menstruate, microstate, micturate, middleweight, militate, mithridate, mitigate, moderate, modulate, motivate, multistate, mutilate, nation-state, nauseate, navigate, neonate, nictitate, niobate, nominate, numerate, obfuscate, objurgate, obligate, obovate, obviate, on a plate, operate, opiate, orchestrate, ordinate, oscillate, osculate, out-migrate, out-of-date, overstate, overweight, ovulate, paginate, palliate, palpitate, paperweight, patinate, peculate, penetrate, pennyweight, percolate, perennate, perforate, permeate, perpetrate, personate, police state, pollinate, populate, postulate, potentate, predicate, procreate, profligate, promulgate, propagate, prorogate, pullulate, pulmonate, punctuate, quantitate, rabbinate, radiate, real estate, recreate, re-create, reinstate, relegate, relocate, remonstrate, renovate, replicate, reprobate, resonate, retardate, retranslate, roller-skate, roseate, rubricate, ruinate, ruminate, runagate, running mate, rusticate, sagittate, salivate, sanitate, satiate, saturate, scintillate, second-rate, segregate, self-portrait, separate, sequestrate, seriate, sibilate, silver plate, simulate, sinuate, situate, speculate, spoliate, stablemate, starting gate, steady state, stimulate, stipulate, strangulate, stridulate, stylobate, subjugate, sublimate, subrogate, subulate, suffocate, sultanate, Sunda Strait, supplicate, surrogate, syncopate, syndicate, tablemate, tabulate, target date, terminate, tessellate, tête-à-tête, thirty-eight, titillate, titivate, tolerate, transmigrate, transudate, tribulate, tribunate, trifurcate, trilobate, tripinnate, triplicate, tunicate, turbinate, ulcerate, ululate, umbellate, uncinate, underrate, understate, underweight, undulate, ungulate, urinate, vaccinate, vacillate, validate, valuate, variate, vegetate, venerate, ventilate, vertebrate, vicarate, vindicate, violate, vitiate, water gate, Watergate, welfare state, welterweight

3aggregate

noun ag·gre·gate \ˈa-gri-gət\

: a total amount

Full Definition of AGGREGATE

1
:  a mass or body of units or parts somewhat loosely associated with one another
2
:  the whole sum or amount :  sum total
3
a :  a rock composed of mineral crystals of one or more kinds or of mineral rock fragments :  an aggregate rock
b :  any of several hard inert materials (as sand, gravel, or slag) used for mixing with a cementing material to form concrete, mortar, or plaster
c :  a clustered mass of individual soil particles varied in shape, ranging in size from a microscopic granule to a small crumb, and considered the basic structural unit of soil
4
:  set 21
5
in the aggregate
:  considered as a whole :  collectively <dividends for the year amounted in the aggregate to 25 million dollars>

Examples of AGGREGATE

  1. In particular, a core of popular politically minded blogs known in the aggregate as the Blogosphere has been a beehive of furious activity. Or should I say a wasp's nest? —Steven Levy, Newsweek, 4 Oct. 2004

Origin of AGGREGATE

(see 1aggregate)
First Known Use: 15th century

Other Geology Terms

anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale
AGGREGATELY Defined for Kids

1aggregate

verb ag·gre·gate \ˈa-gri-ˌgāt\
ag·gre·gat·edag·gre·gat·ing

Definition of AGGREGATE for Kids

:  to collect or gather into a mass or whole <The particles of sand aggregated into giant dunes.>

2aggregate

noun ag·gre·gate \ˈa-gri-gət\

Definition of AGGREGATE for Kids

1
:  a mass or body of units or parts <The rock is an aggregate of several minerals.>
2
:  the whole sum or amount <They won by an aggregate of 30 points.>

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