Reject
Pronunciation
- verb enPR: rÄjÄ•kt', IPA: /rɪˈdÊ’É›kt/
- noun enPR: rÄ“'jÄ•kt, IPA: /ˈriËdÊ’É›kt/
- Rhymes: -ɛkt
Origin
From Late Middle English rejecten, from Latin rēiectus, past participle of rēicere, "to throw back", from rē-, back, + iacere, to throw. Displaced native Middle English forwerpen ("to reject") (from Old English forweorpan), Middle English forcasten ("to reject, throw away") (from Old Norse forkasta), Middle English skirpen ("to reject, spew out") (from Old Norse skirpa ("to reject, spit out")), Middle English wernen ("to refuse, reject") (from Old English wiernan ("to refuse, reject")), Middle English withchosen, withchesen ("to reject, choose against") (from Old English wiþċēosan ("to reject")).
Full definition of reject
Verb
- (transitive) To refuse to accept.
- 1898, Winston Churchill, The Celebrity Chapter 4, One morning I had been driven to the precarious refuge afforded by the steps of the inn, after rejecting offers from the Celebrity to join him in a variety of amusements. But even here I was not free from interruption, for he was seated on a horse-block below me, playing with a fox terrier.
- She even rejected my improved offer.
- (basketball) To block a shot, especially if it sends the ball off the court.