populate — English Dictionary

Verb

1. To supply with inhabitants; to people.

   Usage

   • Transitive

2. To live in; to inhabit.

   Usage

   • Transitive

3. To increase in number; to breed.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

4. To fill initially empty items in a collection.

   Usage

   • Transitive or intransitive

   Examples

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

   Clicking the refresh button will populate the grid.

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

Adjective

1. populous

   Usage

   • Obsolete

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   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.

Verb

1. be an inhabitant of or reside in

   Synonyms

   dwellliveinhabit

   Broader terms

   be

   Examples

   People lived in Africa millions of years ago

   The people inhabited the islands that are now deserted

   More examples (2)

   this kind of fish dwells near the bottom of the ocean

   deer are populating the woods

2. fill with inhabitants

   Broader terms

   fillfill upmake full

   Examples

   populate the forest with deer and wild boar for hunting