What does "combine" mean?
Ellipsis of combine harvester.
Combine
/kəmˈbaɪn/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Ellipsis of combine harvester.
- Grammar: combine is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: trust, accompany, accord, accouple.
- Useful contrasts: disjoint, environmental isolate, fragmented.
- Usage evidence: You had better combine your work with your family life.
How to use "combine"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "combine" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "combine" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "combine" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "combine" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "combine" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "trust" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "combine", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Ellipsis of combine harvester. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
"We can't finish harvesting because our combine is stuck in the mud."
- 2 harvester that heads and threshes and cleans grain while moving across the field wordnet
- 3 A combination.; Especially, a joint enterprise of whatever legal form for a purpose of business or in any way promoting the interests of the participants, sometimes with monopolistic or fraudulent intentions.
"The telecom companies were accused of having formed an illegal combine in order to hike up the network charges."
- 4 an occurrence that results in things being united wordnet
- 5 A combination.; An industrial conglomeration in a socialist country, particularly in the former Soviet bloc.
"His grandmother worked in the stamping plant of the sheet and tin combine."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 a consortium of independent organizations formed to limit competition by controlling the production and distribution of a product or service wordnet
- 7 A combination.; An artwork falling between painting and sculpture, having objects embedded into a painted surface.
- 8 Ellipsis of combine car, a type of railway car that combines passenger and freight functions. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 9 A test match in which applicants play in the hope of earning a position on a professional football team.
"If you purchased this book chances are that you are planning on participating in a football combine or pro-day test."
Verb
- 1 To bring (two or more things or activities) together; to unite. transitive
"Combine the milk and the hot water in a large bowl."
- 2 put or add together wordnet
- 3 To have two or more things or properties that function together. transitive
"Joe combines the intelligence of a rock with the honesty of a politician."
- 4 mix together different elements wordnet
- 5 To come together; to unite. intransitive
"two substances that easily combine"
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 gather in a mass, sum, or whole wordnet
- 7 In the game of casino, to play a card which will take two or more cards whose aggregate number of pips equals those of the card played.
- 8 combine so as to form a whole; mix wordnet
- 9 To bind; to hold by a moral tie. obsolete
"I am combined by a sacred vow."
- 10 add together from different sources wordnet
- 11 join for a common purpose or in a common action wordnet
- 12 have or possess in combination wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 London Underground colloquial
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"You had better combine your work with your family life."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "combine"?
Common synonyms include: trust, accompany, accord, accouple, accumulate, act in concert.
How do you use "combine" in a sentence?
You had better combine your work with your family life.
How do you pronounce "combine"?
Pronounced /kəmˈbaɪn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English combynyn, from Middle French combiner, from Late Latin combīnāre (“unite, yoke together”), from Latin con- (“together”) + bīnī (“two by two”).
Etymology 2
From combine, referring to the merger and purchase of various underground railway, tram and bus companies in London, combining them into one organisation. Originally applied to Underground Electric Railways of London Company Ltd, since used for successor organisations.