replicate
/ˈreplɪkeɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈreplɪkeɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈre-plə-ˌkāt/ (ame, mw)
replicate — verb
- replicatepresent simple I / you / we / they
- replicateshe / she / it
- replicatedpast simple
- replicating-ing form
1. To do or create something a second time in a way that is identical to the first
To do or create something a second time in a way that is identical to the first version, for instance when checking a scientific finding or repeating a piece of work.
The research team tried to [[replicate]] the earlier findings using a different group of participants.
replicate + noun phrase for validation
Ryo [[replicated]] the experiment three times before he felt confident about the data.
replicate + frequency adverbial
The design software lets you [[replicate]] a pattern across the whole image with one click.
Tara tried to [[replicate]] her grandmother's soup recipe, but the taste was never quite the same.
- duplicate
Stronger emphasis on producing an identical copy; more formal and technical than replicate
- reproduce
Can mean an exact or approximate copy; also has biological meanings that replicate does not
- copy
More informal; often implies imitation rather than scientific exactness
- repeat
Focuses on doing something again, not necessarily producing an identical outcome
文法句型
replicate + noun phrase
replicate + wh-clause
用法筆記
Commonly used in academic and scientific writing to describe checking whether a previous finding can be obtained again. The object is usually a result, finding, study, experiment, or procedure.
常見錯誤
2. To make more of itself through an automatic process, said of a living cell, a vi
To make more of itself through an automatic process, said of a living cell, a virus, or a strand of DNA that creates matching copies of its own structure.
The virus can [[replicate]] inside human cells within a few hours of infection.
intransitive: virus/cell + replicate + location adverbial
During the experiment, the bacteria [[replicated]] rapidly in the warm nutrient solution.
intransitive + adverb of speed
Nadia watched the algae cells [[replicate]] by dividing in half under her microscope.
DNA must [[replicate]] accurately before a cell can divide into two new cells.
- degrade
To break down rather than copy; often used for DNA or proteins
文法句型
cell/virus/DNA + replicate
replicate + inside/in/within + location
用法筆記
Almost always intransitive — the subject is the thing that copies itself. For passive constructions (e.g., 'the gene is replicated'), the transitive form of sense 1 is used instead.
常見錯誤
replicate — adjective
- replicatepositive
- more replicatecomparative
- most replicatesuperlative
1. Happening more than once in exactly the same form or appearing as multiple ident
Happening more than once in exactly the same form or appearing as multiple identical copies.
The patient showed [[replicate]] episodes of the same symptoms over several months.
adjective: replicate + noun (episodes/patterns)
Archaeologists found [[replicate]] designs carved into stone pillars across the entire region.
The survey produced [[replicate]] measurements from each location to confirm the data.
Beatriz noticed [[replicate]] carvings on each of the wooden panels in the old temple.
文法句型
replicate + noun
用法筆記
This is a formal, somewhat technical use found mainly in scientific writing and academic prose. An attributive adjective — it always comes directly before the noun it modifies.
常見錯誤
replicate — noun
1. A single item from a group of experiments or samples that are all the same, used
A single item from a group of experiments or samples that are all the same, used in research to confirm that the original result was not due to chance.
Each [[replicate]] in the experiment gave nearly the same numerical result, which confirmed the hypothesis.
noun: each replicate + in + noun phrase
The lab prepared three [[replicates]] of the soil sample to check that the measurements were accurate.
Using multiple [[replicates]] in the study helped the team rule out random errors in their data.
Otis ran three [[replicates]] of the gene test to confirm that no contamination had occurred.
- duplicate
One of two identical items; more general than replicate
- sample
A single specimen; does not imply that others are identical
- repetition
A repeated run of an experiment; less precise about identicalness
文法句型
a replicate
three replicates
each replicate
用法筆記
Plural form replicates is very common in scientific papers. Biologists distinguish between biological replicates (samples from different organisms) and technical replicates (repeated measurements of the same sample).