derive

verb

di-RYV/dɪˈɹaɪv/

7 meanings of derive

1
verbtransitive
To get something useful or good from another thing or source.
Like getting warmth from sitting near a fire.
Many people derive comfort from spending time with their pets.
She derived a lot of energy from a good breakfast.
Similarobtain, get, draw, gain, receive
Note
2
verbintransitive
To come from something as its source or starting point.
Like a big river that begins as a small mountain stream.
Many English words derive from Latin.
Her strength derived from years of hard practice.
Similarstem, originate, come, arise, spring
Note
3
verbtransitive
To work out an answer or conclusion by careful thinking.
Like figuring out who ate the cake from the crumbs left behind.
From the clues, the children derived the answer to the puzzle.
Scientists derive their conclusions from careful study.
Similardeduce, infer
Note
4
verbtransitive
To find out where a word came from and how it began.
Like tracing a family back to find its first ancestors.
Students tried to derive the word 'salary' back to its Latin root.
She derived the place name from an old Celtic term.
Similartrace
Note
5
verbtransitive
To make one chemical substance from another by using a reaction.
Like baking bread from flour, water, and yeast.
Chemists can derive many useful dyes from coal tar.
The lab derived a new compound from a simple sugar.
Similarsynthesize, produce, make, obtain, extract
Note
6
verbnonstandardtransitive
To find how quickly a math function changes at each point.
Like measuring how steep a hill is at each step you take.
Students learn to derive simple functions in their first calculus class.
She derived the equation to find its rate of change.
Similardifferentiate
Oppositeintegrate
Note
7
verbtransitive
To turn water or another flow aside and send it into smaller channels.
Each spring the workers derive the stream into small ditches between the rows of corn.
The old mill derived the stream into wooden troughs.
Similardivert, channel, redirect, conduct
Note

Practice

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Origin

It comes from Latin words meaning "away" and "a stream." It reached English through Old French and Middle English.