Adapt

WORD OF THE DAY

adapt / verb / uh-DAPT

Definition
1: to make fit (as for a new use) often by modification
2: to become adapted

Examples
"Isaac Asimov's [Foundation] novels are collections of short stories and novellas spanning thousands of years, which makes them hard to adapt as a continuous story."
— Belen Edwards, Mashable.com, 22 Dec. 2021

To adapt to natural fluctuations in temperature, light, water, and air movement without being damaged, your seedlings need to develop a tougher protective cuticle and sturdier stems; this takes a little time and some patience.
—Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Jan. 2023

Did You Know?
Rooted in the origins of adapt is the idea of becoming specifically fit for something.
English speakers adapted adapt in the 15th century from the Middle French adapter, which was borrowed, in turn, from the Latin adaptāre,a combination of the Latin prefix ad- ("to, toward") and the verb aptāre, meaning "to put into position, bring to bear, make ready."
Aptāre is a verbal derivative of aptus, meaning "fit" or "apt."
Other descendants of aptus in English include aptitude, inept, and of course apt itself, as well as unapt and inapt.