Word of the Day

: May 15, 2011

collaborate

verb kuh-LAB-uh-rayt

What It Means

1 : to work jointly with others

2 : to cooperate with an enemy and especially an occupying force

collaborate in Context

A number of reporters collaborated on the Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper series.

"In a move partly aimed at strengthening ties ahead of a potential merger, the board of directors of the Lompico Water District agreed at Wednesday's meeting to collaborate with the San Lorenzo Valley Water District to replace a water line." -- From an article by Kimberly White in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, March 11, 2011

Did You Know?

The Latin prefix "com-," meaning "with, together, or jointly," is a bit of a chameleon -- it has a tricky habit of changing its appearance depending on what it's next to. If the word it precedes begins with "l," "com-" becomes "col-." In the case of "collaborate," "com-" teamed up with "laborare" ("to labor") to form Late Latin "collaborare" ("to labor together"). "Colleague," "collect," and "collide" are a few more examples of the "com-" to "col-" transformation. Other descendants of "laborare" in English include "elaborate," "laboratory," and "labor" itself.