Noun: dissimilation di,si-mu'ley-shun
- A linguistic process by which one of two similar sounds in a word becomes less like the other
"the Old French ‘marbre’ became the English ‘marble’ by dissimilation"
- Breakdown in living organisms of more complex substances into simpler ones together with release of energy
"Exercise increases the rate of dissimilation in muscles";
- catabolism, katabolism, destructive metabolism
Derived forms: dissimilations
Type of: biological process, linguistic process, organic process
Part of: metabolic process, metabolism
Encyclopedia: Dissimilation