procreate
UK/'prәukrieit/US
GREC2
Definitions
v.
To produce offspring; to reproduce sexually
生育，繁殖
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedpro-forward, for, before
+
createbirth, produce, kind
=procreate
pro- (forth) + create (Latin creāre, 'to bring into being') = to bring forth new life. Note: create/procreate come from creāre, not from gignere (the true gen- verb). They are kept here as semantic neighbors of gen- (both about 'producing life'), but strictly belong to the creāre family — a near-cousin, not a direct member.
Usage Guide
Formal and slightly clinical — used in biology, law and ethics debates (the right to procreate), rarely in casual speech where people say 'have kids' or 'reproduce.'
Example Sentences
- 1.
Some species procreate only once in their lifetime.
- 2.
The debate touched on the right to procreate.