populate

Borrowed from Medieval Latin populātus, past participle of populor (“populate”), from Latin populus (“people”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpɒp.jʊˌleɪt/

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• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈpɑ.pjəˌleɪt/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔp.jəˌlæɪt/

populate (third-person singular simple present populates, present participle populating, simple past and past participle populated)

1. (transitive) To supply with inhabitants; to people.
2. (transitive) To live in; to inhabit.
3. (intransitive) To increase in number; to breed.
4. (computing, transitive, intransitive) To fill initially empty items in a collection.

   John clicked the Search button and waited for the list to populate.

   Clicking the refresh button will populate the grid.

5. (electronics) To fill initially empty slots or sockets on a circuit board or similar.

populate (comparative more populate, superlative most populate)

1. (obsolete) populous
   • a. 1626, Francis Bacon, Bacon Verulam, Viscount St. Albans, “Notes of a Speech, concerning a War with Spaine”, in Letters, Memoirs, Parliamentary Affairs, State Papers, &c., London: Robert Stephens, published 1736, page 228:

     Now, a famous King, and ſtrengthened with a Prince of ſingular expectation, and in the prime of his years, owner of the entire Iſle of Britain, enjoying Ireland populate and quiet, and infinitely more ſupported by Confederates of the Low-Countries, Denmarke, divers of the Princes of Germany and others.

populāte

1. vocative masculine singular of populātus