coalesce
UK[ˌkəʊ.əˈles]US[ˌkoʊ.əˈles]
v
to come together and form one group or substance
v
to combine elements in a mass or whole
Morpheme Breakdown
co
alesce
co
together
alesce
grow
Etymology
the word coalesce originates from the latin verb coalescere, which is a compound of the prefix co- (meaning 'together') and the verb alescere (meaning 'to grow up', from alere 'to nourish'). its literal sense was 'to grow together' or 'to unite by growth'. this biological metaphor was adopted into english in the mid-16th century, initially describing the physical fusion of parts. over time, the meaning broadened to encompass any process of merging, uniting, or combining into a single mass or entity, moving from a concrete physical process to more abstract social or conceptual integrations.
Analysis
Structure: co (together) + alesce (grow)
co- is a prefix from latin, meaning 'together, with'. alesce is a verb-forming element from latin alescere, meaning 'to grow up, increase'.
Examples
the two companies decided to coalesce their resources to tackle the larger project.
droplets of mercury will coalesce into a single larger sphere when brought together.
various political factions began to coalesce around the central issue of economic reform.