The origins of propagate are firmly rooted in the field of horticulture. The word is a 16th century Latin borrowing, ultimately from the verb propagare, which means "to set (onto a plant) a small shoot or twig cut for planting or grafting."
Propagate definition: to cause (an organism) to multiply by any process of natural reproduction from the parent stock.. See examples of PROPAGATE used in a sentence.
To propagate ideas, opinions, or customs is to spread them among people, or to spread them to other places. We all know that air or at least any form of matter is needed to propagate (sound) waves. I'm very sure the former is not true: although routers sometimes propagate updates that don't contain new information, they usually suppress those.
Definition of propagate verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. [transitive] propagate something (formal) to spread an idea, a belief or a piece of information among many people. Television advertising propagates a false image of the ideal family.
propagate (third-person singular simple present propagates, present participle propagating, simple past and past participle propagated) (transitive, of animals or plants) To cause to continue or multiply by generation, or successive production. quotations
prop•a•gate /ˈprɑpəˌgeɪt/ v., -gat•ed, -gat•ing. Developmental Biology, Genetics to (cause to) multiply or increase by any process of natural reproduction from the parent stock: [~ + object] to propagate seeds; These flowers will propagate themselves. [no object] The insects propagated vigorously.
To propagate is to be fruitful and multiply, by the usual routes of reproduction, or by spreading something around — like a rumor. Propagate comes from the Latin word propagare, which means "to reproduce plants, breed."
There are 14 meanings listed in OED's entry for the verb propagate, four of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
