All 5 Uses of
adopt
in
Moby Dick
- And this is the Bibliographical system here adopted; and it is the only one that can possibly succeed, for it alone is practicable.†
Chpt 31-33adopted = took on as one's own
- A few years ago this same plan was adopted by the Bay whalemen of New Zealand, who, upon descrying the game, gave notice to the ready-manned boats nigh the beach.†
Chpt 34-36
- But though the Lakeman had induced the seamen to adopt this sort of passiveness in their conduct, he kept his own counsel (at least till all was over) concerning his own proper and private revenge upon the man who had stung him in the ventricles of his heart.†
Chpt 52-54adopt = take on as one's own
- To any meditative Magian rover, this serene Pacific, once beheld, must ever after be the sea of his adoption.†
Chpt 109-111 *adoption = the act of taking something on as one's own
- which was only solved for him by his chief mate's instinctively adopting the ordinary procedure of a whale-ship in such emergencies, that is, when placed between jeopardized but divided boats, always to pick up the majority first.†
Chpt 127-129adopting = taking on as one's own
Definition:
to take on as one's own
The exact meaning of adopt depends upon its context. For example:
- "adopt a child" -- to legally take on parental responsibilities for another person's child
- "adopt a plan" -- to accept or begin to use something
- "adopt a pet" -- to take in a pet -- especially one from an animal shelter
- "Congress adopted the resolution." -- had a formal vote and passed
- "adopted a confident attitude" -- took on or displayed