Propagate
(Prop"a*gate) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Propagated ; p. pr. & vb. n. Propagating.] [L. propagatus,
p. p. of propagare to propagate, akin to propages, propago, a layer of a plant, slip, shoot. See Pro-,
and cf. Pact, Prop, Prune, v. t.]
1. To cause to continue or multiply by generation, or successive production; — applied to animals and
plants; as, to propagate a breed of horses or sheep; to propagate a species of fruit tree.
2. To cause to spread to extend; to impel or continue forward in space; as, to propagate sound or light.
3. To spread from person to person; to extend the knowledge of; to originate and spread; to carry from
place to place; to disseminate; as, to propagate a story or report; to propagate the Christian religion.
The infection was propagated insensibly.
De Foe. 4. To multiply; to increase. [Obs.]
Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast,
Which thou wilt propagate.
Shak. 5. To generate; to produce.
Motion propagated motion, and life threw off life.
De Quincey. Syn. — To multiply; continue; increase; spread; diffuse; disseminate; promote.
Propagate
(Prop"a*gate), v. i. To have young or issue; to be produced or multiplied by generation, or by
new shoots or plants; as, rabbits propagate rapidly.
No need that thou
Should'st propagate, already infinite.
Milton. Propagation
(Prop`a*ga"tion) n. [L. propagatio: cf. F. propagation.]
1. The act of propagating; continuance or multiplication of the kind by generation or successive production; as,
the propagation of animals or plants.
There is not in nature any spontaneous generation, but all come by propagation.
Ray. 2. The spreading abroad, or extension, of anything; diffusion; dissemination; as, the propagation of sound; the
propagation of the gospel. Bacon.
Propagative
(Prop"a*ga*tive) a. Producing by propagation, or by a process of growth.
Propagator
(Prop"a*ga`tor) n. [L.: cf. F. propagateur.] One who propagates; one who continues or
multiplies.
Propagulum
(||Pro*pag"u*lum) n.; pl. Propagula [NL. See Propagate.] (Bot.) A runner terminated by
a germinating bud.
Propane
(Pro"pane) n. [Propyl + methane.] (Chem.) A heavy gaseous hydrocarbon, C3H8, of the
paraffin series, occurring naturally dissolved in crude petroleum, and also made artificially; — called also
propyl hydride.
Propargyl
(Pro*par"gyl) n. [Propinyl + Gr. silver + -yl. So called because one hydrogen atom may be
replaced by silver.] (Chem.) Same as Propinyl.
Proparoxytone
(Pro`par*ox"y*tone) n. [Gr. . See Pro-, and Paroxytone.] (Gr. Gram.) A word which
has the acute accent on the antepenult.
