PERTAIN

pertain, appertain

(verb) be a part or attribute of

refer, pertain, relate, concern, come to, bear on, touch, touch on, have to do with

(verb) be relevant to; “There were lots of questions referring to her talk”; “My remark pertained to your earlier comments”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

pertain (third-person singular simple present pertains, present participle pertaining, simple past and past participle pertained)

(intransitive) to belong to or be a part of; be an adjunct, attribute, or accessory of

(intransitive) to relate, to refer, be relevant to

(intransitive) To apply; to be or remain in place; to continue to be applicable

Usage notes

• In all the above senses, pertain is followed by to (or formerly by unto, as in The King James Version of The Bible and in the plays of Shakespeare, although to is used in these works as well).

Synonyms

• appertain

Antonyms

• be irrelevant

Anagrams

• Painter, Parenti, apterin, painter, pine tar, repaint, terapin

Source: Wiktionary


Per*tain", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Pertained; p. pr. & vb. n. Pertaining.] Etym: [OE. partenen, OF. partenir, fr. L. pertinere to stretch out, reach, pertain; per + tenere to hold, keep. See Per-, and Tenable, and cf. Appertain, Pertinent.]

1. To belong; to have connection with, or dependence on, something, as an appurtenance, attribute, etc.; to appertain; as, saltness pertains to the ocean; flowers pertain to plant life. Men hate those who affect that honor by ambition which pertaineth not to them. Hayward.

2. To have relation or reference to something. These words pertain unto us at this time as they pertained to them at their time. Latimer.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

19 April 2025

CATCH

(verb) grasp with the mind or develop an understanding of; “did you catch that allusion?”; “We caught something of his theory in the lecture”; “don’t catch your meaning”; “did you get it?”; “She didn’t get the joke”; “I just don’t get him”


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Coffee Trivia

There are more than 50 countries that export coffee. They are near the equator, where the climate is conducive to producing coffee beans.

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