Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: French
Origin: dériver, from Latin derivare 'to draw out water', from rivus 'stream'

derive

 verb
     
Related topics: Chemistry
de‧rive
1 [transitive] to get something, especially an advantage or a pleasant feeling, from something
derive something from something
Medically, we will derive great benefit from this technique.
derive pleasure/enjoyment etc
Many students derived enormous satisfaction from the course.
2 also be derived [intransitive and transitive] to develop or come from something else
derive from
This word is derived from Latin.
patterns of behaviour that derive from basic beliefs
3 [transitive]HC technical to get a chemical substance from another substance
be derived from something
The enzyme is derived from human blood.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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