compete: [17] Compete comes from Latin competere. This was a compound verb formed from com- ‘together’ and petere ‘seek, strive’ (source of English petition, appetite, impetus, and repeat). At first this meant ‘come together, agree, be fit or suitable’, and the last of these meanings was taken up in the present participial adjective competēns, source of English competent [14]. In later Latin, however, competere developed the sense ‘strive together’, and this formed the basis of English compete. => appetite, competent, impetus, petition, repeat
compete (v.)
1610s, " to enter or be put in rivalry with," from Middle French compéter "be in rivalry with" (14c.), or directly from Late Latin competere "strive in common," in classical Latin "to come together, agree, to be qualified," later, "strive together," from com- "together" (see com-) + petere "to strive, seek, fall upon, rush at, attack" (see petition (n.)).
Rare 17c., revived from late 18c. in sense "to strive (alongside another) for the attainment of something" and regarded early 19c. in Britain as a Scottish or American word. Market sense is from 1840s (perhaps a back-formation from competition); athletics sense attested by 1857. Related: Competed; competing.
雙語例句
1. They are now trying to compete on an equal footing.
他們現(xiàn)在想要公平競爭。
來自柯林斯例句
2. Until the matter is resolved the athletes will be ineligible to compete.
除非這個問題得以解決，否則這些運動員沒有資格參加比賽。
來自柯林斯例句
3. Schools should not compete with each other or attempt to poach pupils.
學校之間不應該相互競爭，也不應該企圖挖走彼此的學生。
來自柯林斯例句
4. Each year they compete in a prominent statewide bicycle race.
每年他們都要參加著名的全州自行車大賽。
來自柯林斯例句
5. Small English orchards can hardly compete economically with larger French ones.