What does "propagate" mean?
Propagate: To cause to spread to extend; to impel or continue forward in space; as, to propagate sound or light.
Additional senses
- 2.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.
- 3.To multiply; to increase. [Obs.] Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast, Which thou wilt propagate. Shak.
- 4.To generate; to produce. Motion propagated motion, and life threw off life. De Quincey.
- 5.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.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00