Search this site:

Definition of adjust


Reference


Word of the Day
competent
Definition: (adjective) having the skill and knowledge needed for a particular task; capable
Petersons.com
Add Word of the Day to your personalized My Yahoo! page:
Add to My Yahoo! View RSS Feed
About My Yahoo! and RSS »

 

ad·just  audio  (-jst) KEY  

VERB:
ad·just·ed , ad·just·ing , ad·justs
VERB:
tr.
  1. To change so as to match or fit; cause to correspond.
  2. To bring into proper relationship.
  3. To adapt or conform, as to new conditions: "unable to adjust themselves to their environment" (Karl A. Menninger). See Synonyms at adapt.
  4. To bring the components of into a more effective or efficient calibration or state: adjust the timing of a car's engine.
  5. In chiropracty, to manipulate (the spine and other body structures) to treat disorders and restore normal function of the nervous system.
  6. To decide how much is to be paid on (an insurance claim).
VERB:
intr.
  1. To adapt oneself; conform.
  2. To achieve a psychological balance with regard to one's external environment, one's needs, and the demands of others.

ETYMOLOGY:
Obsolete French adjuster, from Old French ajoster, from Vulgar Latin *adixtre, to put close to : Latin ad-, ad- + Latin ixt, near; see yeug- in Indo-European roots

OTHER FORMS:
ad·justa·ble (Adjective), ad·justa·bly (Adverb), ad·juster or ad·justor (Noun)


Visit our partner's site
Provided by Houghton Mifflin
logoeReference -- Download this interactive reference software to your desktop computer


Search Dictionary:

 More on Yahoo! Education
 • Online and On-Campus Degree Programs
    MBAs  -  Technology Management  -  Education  -  Health  -  More

 • College & Grad School - A Comprehensive Guide
    College Search  -  Test Prep  -  Application Tips  -  Scholarship Search
 

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Other Important Information
-