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convert

Think of the word convert as meaning "change," whether it is a person who adopts a new belief, or a changing action, such as when you convert dollars into euros.

Many times we can catch a word's meaning by looking at its origins. In this case, the Latin con means "around," while vertere means "turn." So we can figure that convert means to "turn around," an object or one's thoughts on an idea. For example, you might convert a meat eater into a vegetarian or an empty-nester might convert the kids' bedroom into an exercise room.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: convert

1
 v
change the nature, purpose, or function of something
2
 vn
make (someone) agree, understand, or realize the truth or validity of something
a person who has been converted to another religious or political belief
3
 v
exchange or replace with another, usually of the same kind or category
4
 v
complete successfully
FULL DEFINITIONS OF: convert
1

v change the nature, purpose, or function of something

“convert lead into gold”
“convert hotels into jails”
“convert slaves to laborers”
Types:
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caramelise, caramelize
convert to caramel
rasterize
convert (an image) into pixels
humify
convert (plant remains) into humus
verbalise, verbalize
convert into a verb
sporulate
convert into spores
fictionalise, fictionalize, novelise, novelize
convert into the form or the style of a novel
deaden
convert (metallic mercury) into a grey powder consisting of minute globules, as by shaking with chalk or fatty oil
opalise, opalize
replace or convert into opal
receive
convert into sounds or pictures
reconvert
convert back
malt
convert into malt
malt
convert grain into malt
feudalize
bring (a country or people) under feudalism
flour
convert grain into flour
reclaim
make useful again; transform from a useless or uncultivated state
ferment, work
cause to undergo fermentation
nitrify
convert into nitric acid, nitrous acid, or nitrate, especially with the action of nitrobacteria
fossilise, fossilize
convert to a fossil
tan
treat skins and hides with tannic acid so as to convert them into leather
dress
convert into leather
compost
convert to compost
transition
cause to convert or undergo a transition
transcribe
convert the genetic information in (a strand of DNA) into a strand of RNA, especially messenger RNA
scrap
make into scrap or refuse
keratinise, keratinize
convert into keratin
diazotize
convert (an amine) into a diazo compound
hay
convert (plant material) into hay
lignify
convert into wood or cause to become woody
mineralize
transform (a metal) into an ore
mineralize
convert into a mineral substance
ozonise, ozonize
convert (oxygen) into ozone
slag
convert into slag
sulfate
convert into a sulfate
cutinize
convert into cutin
duplex
change into a duplex
encode
convert information into code
vinify
convert a juice into wine by fermentation
lapidify, petrify
change into stone
bark
tan (a skin) with bark tannins
cipher, code, cypher, encipher, encrypt, inscribe, write in code
convert ordinary language into code
Type of:
alter, change, modify
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

v change in nature, purpose, or function; undergo a chemical change

“The substance converts to an acid”
Types:
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caramelise, caramelize
be converted into caramel
malt
turn into malt, become malt
immobilise, immobilize
convert (assets) into fixed capital
melanise, melanize
convert into, or infiltrate with melanin
Type of:
change
undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature

v change from one system to another or to a new plan or policy

“We converted from 220 to 110 Volt”
Synonyms:
change over
Types:
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transduce
cause transduction (of energy forms)
metricate, metricise, metricize, metrify
convert from a non-metric to the metric system
decimalise, decimalize
change to the decimal system
float
convert from a fixed point notation to a floating point notation
Type of:
alter, change, modify
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
2

v make (someone) agree, understand, or realize the truth or validity of something

Synonyms:
convince, win over
Types:
disarm
make less hostile; win over
Type of:
persuade
cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action; twist somebody's arm

v cause to adopt a new or different faith

“The missionaries converted the Indian population”
Types:
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Islamise, Islamize
convert to Islam
Christianise, Christianize
convert to Christianity
evangelise, evangelize
convert to Christianity
catholicise, catholicize, latinise, latinize
cause to adopt Catholicism
proselytise, proselytize
convert to another faith or religion
Type of:
alter, change, modify
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

v change religious beliefs, or adopt a religious belief

“She converted to Buddhism”
Type of:
change
undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature

n a person who has been converted to another religious or political belief

Types:
Converso
(medieval Spain and Portugal) a Jew or Moor who professed to convert to Christianity in order to avoid persecution or expulsion
proselyte
a new convert; especially a gentile converted to Judaism
Marrano
(medieval Spain and Portugal) a disparaging term for a Jew who converted to Christianity in order to avoid persecution but continued to practice their religion secretly
Type of:
individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul
a human being
3

v exchange or replace with another, usually of the same kind or category

“Could you convert my dollars into pounds?”
“convert centimeters into inches”
“convert holdings into shares”
Synonyms:
change, commute, exchange
change, shift, switch
lay aside, abandon, or leave for another
Types:
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rectify
convert into direct current
utilize
convert (from an investment trust to a unit trust)
capitalise, capitalize
convert (a company's reserve funds) into capital
launder
convert illegally obtained funds into legal ones
break
exchange for smaller units of money
overcapitalise, overcapitalize
capitalize beyond what the business or the profit-making prospects warrant
Type of:
replace
substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected)

v exchange a penalty for a less severe one

Synonyms:
commute, exchange
Type of:
alter, change, modify
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
4

v complete successfully

Type of:
hit, rack up, score, tally
gain points in a game

v score (a spare)

Type of:
hit, rack up, score, tally
gain points in a game

v score an extra point or points after touchdown by kicking the ball through the uprights or advancing the ball into the end zone

“Smith converted and his team won”
Type of:
hit, rack up, score, tally
gain points in a game
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