Word of the day: Connate

Connate

[KON-eyt]

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, 17th century

1.(Especially of ideas or principles) Existing in a person or thing from birth; innate.

2.(Of parts, in biology) United so as to form a single part.

Examples of connate in a sentence

"My cat has a connate sense for when the weather is about to change, and will hide in the basement before a storm appears."

"Stevie Wonder was so talented from an early age that many believed his musical skill was connate."

About Connate

“Connate” is based on the Latin terms “connatus” and “cognatus,” meaning “born related by blood.”

Did you Know?

“Connate” means something similar to “innate” or “inborn,” but in plant biology, it has a separate definition. In plants and flowers, parts of the same type (such as petals) that fuse together to form a new part of the plant are described as “connate.” Their opposite, new plant organs created by fusing different parts of the plant, are described as “adnate.” An example of a connate structure in flowers is a cup or tube created by flower petals joining together.