domestication
domestication Lexical Profile
domestication Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The process of adapting wild plants and animals for human use, such as agriculture, labor, or companionship, through selective breeding over generations.
"The domestication of wheat and cattle marked a major turning point in human civilization."
The act or process of making someone fond of home life and household duties, or of adapting something foreign to a local cultural environment.
"His friends joked about his sudden domestication after he traded weekend travel for gardening and cooking at home."
Word Nuance & Usage
In biology and anthropology, "domestication" refers to the multi-generational genetic modification of a species through selective breeding, whereas "taming" refers only to the behavioral conditioning of an individual wild animal.
• Rhymes for domestication
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Medieval Latin verb domesticare ("to dwell in a house" or "to accustom to the household"), ultimately from the Latin noun domus, meaning "house" or "home."