“Coffee, the favorite drink of the civilized world.” – Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States
ACQUIRE
grow, develop, produce, get, acquire
(verb) come to have or undergo a change of (physical features and attributes); “He grew a beard”; “The patient developed abdominal pains”; “I got funny spots all over my body”; “Well-developed breasts”
assume, acquire, adopt, take on, take
(verb) take on a certain form, attribute, or aspect; “His voice took on a sad tone”; “The story took a new turn”; “he adopted an air of superiority”; “She assumed strange manners”; “The gods assume human or animal form in these fables”
develop, acquire, evolve
(verb) gain through experience; “I acquired a strong aversion to television”; “Children must develop a sense of right and wrong”; “Dave developed leadership qualities in his new position”; “develop a passion for painting”
learn, larn, acquire
(verb) gain knowledge or skills; “She learned dancing from her sister”; “I learned Sanskrit”; “Children acquire language at an amazing rate”
get, acquire
(verb) come into the possession of something concrete or abstract; “She got a lot of paintings from her uncle”; “They acquired a new pet”; “Get your results the next day”; “Get permission to take a few days off from work”
acquire, win, gain
(verb) win something through one’s efforts; “I acquired a passing knowledge of Chinese”; “Gain an understanding of international finance”; “win someone’s confidence and friendship”
acquire
(verb) locate (a moving entity) by means of a tracking system such as radar
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
acquire (third-person singular simple present acquires, present participle acquiring, simple past and past participle acquired)
(transitive) To get.
(transitive) To gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
(medicine) To contract.
(computing) To sample signals and convert them into digital values.
Synonyms
• (get, gain): attain, come by, earn, gain, obtain, procure, secure, win
Antonyms
• (get, gain): abandon, lose
Source: Wiktionary
Ac*quire", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acquired; p. pr. & vb. n. Acquiring.] Etym: [L. acquirere, acquisitum; ad + quarere to seek for. In OE. was a verb aqueren, fr. the same, through OF. aquerre. See Quest..]
Definition: To gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own; as, to acquire a title, riches, knowledge, skill, good or bad habits. No virtue is acquired in an instant, but step by step. Barrow. Descent is the title whereby a man, on the death of his ancestor, acquires his estate, by right of representation, as his heir at law. Blackstone.
Syn.
– To obtain; gain; attain; procure; win; earn; secure. See Obtain.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
16 April 2025
RACY
(adjective) marked by richness and fullness of flavor; “a rich ruby port”; “full-bodied wines”; “a robust claret”; “the robust flavor of fresh-brewed coffee”
Coffee Trivia
