the act or an instance of migrating a group of people, birds, etc, migrating in a body a movement of atoms, ions, or molecules, such as the motion of ions in solution under the influence of electric fields
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
mi•grate /ˈmaɪgreɪt/USA pronunciation
v., -grat•ed, -grat•ing.
mi•gra•to•ry /ˈmaɪgrəˌtɔri/USA pronunciation adj.: migratory birds.See -migr-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to move from one country, region, or place to another:[~ + from/to + object]migrated from the farms to the cities.
- to pass at regular periods from one region to another, as certain birds:[no object]The birds migrated south for the winter.
mi•gra•to•ry /ˈmaɪgrəˌtɔri/USA pronunciation adj.: migratory birds.See -migr-.
mi•gra•tion
(mī grā′shən),USA pronunciation n.
mi•gra′tion•al, adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- the process or act of migrating.
- a migratory movement:preparations for the migration.
- a number or body of persons or animals migrating together.
- Physics[Chem.]a movement or change of position of atoms within a molecule.
- Physicsdiffusion (def. 3a).
- Latin migrātīon- (stem of migrātiō). See migrate, -ion
- 1605–15
mi•grate
(mī′grāt),USA pronunciation v.i., -grat•ed, -grat•ing.
mi′gra•tor, n.
- to go from one country, region, or place to another.
- to pass periodically from one region or climate to another, as certain birds, fishes, and animals:The birds migrate southward in the winter.
- to shift, as from one system, mode of operation, or enterprise to another.
- Biology[Physiol.](of a cell, tissue, etc.) to move from one region of the body to another, as in embryonic development.
- [Chem.]
- (of ions) to move toward an electrode during electrolysis.
- (of atoms within a molecule) to change position.
- British Terms(at British universities) to change or transfer from one college to another.
- Latin migrātus (past participle of migrāre to move from place to place, change position or abode), equivalent. to migrā- verb, verbal stem + -tus past participle suffix
- 1690–1700
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged move, resettle. Migrate, emigrate, immigrate are used of changing one's abode from one country or part of a country to another. To migrate is to make such a move either once or repeatedly:to migrate from Ireland to the United States.To emigrate is to leave a country, usually one's own (and take up residence in another):Each year many people emigrate from Europe.To immigrate is to enter and settle in a country not one's own:There are many inducements to immigrate to South America.Migrate is applied both to people or to animals that move from one region to another, esp. periodically; the other terms are generally applied to movements of people.
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged remain.
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