generate: Meaning and Definition of

gen•er•ate

Pronunciation: ( jen'u-rāt"), [key]
— v., -at•ed, -at•ing.
—v.t.
  1. to bring into existence; cause to be; produce.
  2. to create by a vital or natural process.
  3. to create and distribute vitally and profusely: He generates ideas that we all should consider. A good diplomat generates good will.
  4. to reproduce; procreate.
  5. to produce by a chemical process.
  6. The number 2 generates the set 2, 4, 8, 16.
    1. to trace (a figure) by the motion of a point, straight line, or curve.
    2. to act as base for all the elements of a given set:The number 2 generates the set 2, 4, 8, 16.
  7. to produce or specify (a grammatical sentence or other construction or set of constructions) by the application of a rule or set of rules in a generative grammar.
—v.i.
  1. to reproduce; propagate.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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