n 1 a  :  an act, process, or instance of assimilating  b  :  the state of being assimilated  2  :  the incorporation or conversion of nutrients into protoplasm that in animals follows digestion and absorption and in higher plants involves both photosynthesis and root absorption  3  :  the process of receiving new facts or of responding to new situations in conformity with what is already available to consciousness - compare APPERCEPTION  .
 
 
 
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