Propagate
/ˈprɑːpəˌɡeɪt/
verbB2
Definition
Propagate means to make something increase or spread out. It can be used for plants when they grow new plants from parts of themselves, or for ideas and information when they are shared with many people. The word often means helping something to continue or become more widespread.
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See It in Action
To grow new plants from a parent plant
- •Farmers propagate tomatoes by planting seeds or cuttings.
- •You can propagate a cactus by cutting a piece and planting it.
- •Gardeners propagate flowers to have more plants in the garden.
To spread ideas, information, or signals
- •The teacher propagated the idea of kindness throughout the school.
- •News about the event propagated quickly on social media.
- •Radio waves propagate through the air to reach many listeners.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'propagate' like 'grow' (A1 word), but not only growing yourself—you help others grow or spread too
- ✓Picture a gardener cutting a small branch and planting it so a new plant grows from it
- ✓It's the feeling when you tell a good idea to friends, and soon many people know about it
- ✓Sounds like 'PRO-puh-gate' → Imagine a gate opening wide to let something flow out and spread everywhere
- ✓Think of a rumor or news spreading quickly, like seeds flying in the wind to new places
- ✓NOT like 'grow' (which is about one thing getting bigger)—propagate means making many things grow or spread from one
- ✓NOT like 'share' (just giving something to one person)—propagate means spreading widely to many people or places
- ✓NOT like 'plant' (putting a seed in the ground)—propagate can also mean spreading ideas or signals, not only plants
Try Other Words
- •Spread: to move or extend over a larger area (Use when the focus is on movement or coverage rather than growth)
- •Distribute: to give out to many people or places (Use when talking about handing out objects or information)
- •Grow: to increase in size or number (Use when focusing on natural increase, especially for plants)
- •Transmit: to send or pass something from one to another (Use when talking about signals or information)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: 'pro-' (forward, ahead) + 'pagate' from Latin 'propagare' meaning to set in motion or spread
- •Etymology: From Latin 'propagare,' meaning to reproduce or extend by planting shoots or cuttings
- •Historical development: Originally used in gardening and farming for plant reproduction; later extended to ideas and signals
- •Modern usage: Used in science for plant reproduction, in communication for spreading information, and in technology for signal transmission
- •Key insight: Propagate is about causing growth or spread forward from one source to many
Reflect & Connect
•How can the word propagate help you understand how ideas or information move in your community?
•In what ways is propagating plants similar to sharing knowledge or news?
Fill in the blanks
1.Farmers propagate plants by ___ seeds or cuttings to grow new ones.
2.When an idea propagates, it ___ quickly among people or groups.
3.Unlike simply sharing, to propagate means to help something ___ or become stronger.
4.Radio signals propagate through the air, allowing ___ to receive them far away.
5.Propagate is different from grow because it means helping many things ___ from one.
6.When you propagate a rumor, you cause it to ___ widely, not just tell one person.
7.Propagate is often used with words like 'successfully,' 'easily,' or 'rapidly' to show how well something ___.