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.
双语例句
1. They are now trying to compete on an equal footing.
他们现在想要公平竞争。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Until the matter is resolved the athletes will be ineligible to compete.
除非这个问题得以解决，否则这些运动员没有资格参加比赛。
来自柯林斯例句
3. Schools should not compete with each other or attempt to poach pupils.
学校之间不应该相互竞争，也不应该企图挖走彼此的学生。
来自柯林斯例句
4. Each year they compete in a prominent statewide bicycle race.
每年他们都要参加著名的全州自行车大赛。
来自柯林斯例句
5. Small English orchards can hardly compete economically with larger French ones.
