conjugate

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
conjugate

▶verb /ˈkɒndʒʊgeɪt/ 

• 1 Grammar give the different forms of (a verb).

• 2 Biology (of bacteria or unicellular organisms) become temporarily united in order to exchange genetic material.

  ■ (of gametes) fuse.

• 3 Chemistry be combined with or joined to reversibly.

▶adjective /ˈkɒndʒʊgət/ 

• 1 Chemistry (of an acid or base) related by loss or gain of a proton.

• 2 Mathematics joined in a reciprocal relation, especially having the same real parts and equal magnitudes but opposite signs of imaginary parts.

• 3 Geometry (of angles) adding up to 360°.

• 4 Biology (of gametes) fused.

▶noun /ˈkɒndʒʊgət/ 

• 1 chiefly Biochemistry a conjugated substance.

• 2 Mathematics a conjugate value or entity.

– derivatives
conjugacy noun.

– origin C15 (earlier (ME) as conjugation): from L. conjugat-, conjugare ‘yoke together’, from con- ‘together’ + jugum ‘yoke’.