I. yüˈnīt, usu -īd.+V verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English uniten, from Late Latin unitus, past participle of unire, from Latin unus one — more at one
transitive verb
1.
a. : to put together to form a single unit
unite the fighting forces of the friendly nations
b. : to cause to adhere
unite bricks with mortar
c. : connect
a dirt road unites the farm road with the main highway
d. : to relate integrally
often the ideas are yoked, but not united — T.S.Eliot
especially : to link by a legal or moral bond
a purpose that united all factions
a treaty to unite all the independent nations
2. : to possess (as qualities) in combination
the bride united beauty and intelligence
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to become one or as if one
particles which can unite to form a new compound — T.S.Eliot
mutterings of the crowd united in a thunderous cheer — Darrell Berrigan
b. : to become combined by or as if by adhesion or mixture
the broken bones of a child unite easily
clouds of devastating smoke that unite with the river fog … to form smog — American Guide Series: Pennsylvania
2. : to act in concert
all parties united in signing the petition
3. : to enter into association for or as if for a common purpose
the group united to improve the city's schools
Synonyms:
combine , conjoin , concur , cooperate : unite often indicates joining, merging, coalescing, adhering together to form a new unit, permanent or temporary
the North West Company united with the Hudson's Bay Company — American Guide Series: Washington
in France the whole people saw at once what was upon them; the single word patrie was enough to unite them in a common enthusiasm and stern determination — W.R.Inge
combine may apply to a temporary uniting or joining or to one which leaves the components distinct
a gift for combining, for fusing into a single phase, two or more diverse impressions — T.S.Eliot
wealth and sophistication combine with breezy western characteristics in this town — American Guide Series: Texas
innumerable factors combine in the inextricable complexity of our general story — Hilaire Belloc
conjoin is likely to stress the notion of jointure, often of more or less equal things or forces, at a specific point
nature had lavished gifts and aspirations upon him, but they were so mixed and contradictory that only by a fortunate miracle did some of them conjoin to produce the rich poetry by which he is remembered — R.D.Atlick
concur is likely to be used of things that happen to merge, work together, or coincide when another course of action is probable or plausible
two opposite forces concurred in bringing about the Council of Nicaea — A.P.Stanley
cooperate indicates a joining of strength or force in some specific situation with no fusion or loss of identity
sent a joint expedition, under British command, to cooperate with the White Russians at Murmansk and Archangel against the Bolshevist forces — J.M.Hanson
Synonym: see in addition join .
II. ˈyüˌnīt, ̷ ̷ˈ ̷ ̷ noun
( -s )
Etymology: from obsolete unite joint, united, from Middle English unit, from Late Latin unitus
: an old British gold 20-shilling piece issued first by James I in 1604 for England and Scotland and bearing in the design and inscription reference to the uniting of the two crowns — called also jacobus