All 9 Uses of
adopt
in
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
- It is due, however, to my mistress to say of her, that she did not adopt this course of treatment immediately.†
Chpt 7adopt = take on as one's own
- The plan which I adopted, and the one by which I was most successful, was that of making friends of all the little white boys whom I met in the street.†
Chpt 7adopted = took on as one's own
- He came into possession of all his slaves by marriage; and of all men, adopted slaveholders are the worst.†
Chpt 9
- For instance, the slaveholders not only like to see the slave drink of his own accord, but will adopt various plans to make him drunk.†
Chpt 10adopt = take on as one's own
- The mode here adopted to disgust the slave with freedom, by allowing him to see only the abuse of it, is carried out in other things.†
Chpt 10adopted = took on as one's own
- The same mode is sometimes adopted to make the slaves refrain from asking for more food than their regular allowance.†
Chpt 10
- I would keep the merciless slaveholder profoundly ignorant of the means of flight adopted by the slave.†
Chpt 11 *
- How I did so,—what means I adopted,—what direction I travelled, and by what mode of conveyance,—I must leave unexplained, for the reasons before mentioned.†
Chpt 11
- The motto which I adopted when I started from slavery was this—"Trust no man!"†
Chpt 11
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