Combines

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈkɑm.baɪnz/

Definitions

1. To join separate elements into a singular entity that functions together
2. To unify distinct components to form a cohesive structure that operates as one
3. Brings together multiple parts into a single unit that works collectively

Etymology: The word is the plural of "combine", so the noun sense is the one that matters here. The verb "combine" came into Middle English from Middle French "combiner", which was drawn from Late Latin "combīnāre", meaning "unite" or "yoke together". Its Latin parts are "con-", meaning "together", and "bīnī", meaning "two by two", so the underlying picture is of things paired off and joined. The farm machine is a later, narrower use. A combine harvester cuts, threshes and cleans grain in a single pass across a field, combining several separate harvesting jobs into one machine. The name fits that job: the tasks that once needed separate implements are gathered into one unit. The plural "combines" is simply the form used when speaking of more than one such machine.

Synonyms: mergers, combinations