Meanings
meld1
present singular third person melds · participle present melding · participle past melded · past melded
- transitiveTo combine (multiple things) together; to blend, to fuse.First known use early 20th c.
One can meld copper and zinc together to form brass.
2 more examples
Much as America's motto celebrates melding many into one, South Africa's says that it doesn't matter what you look like – we can all be proud of our young country.
2018 June 5, Michael Wines, “Song awakens injured pride of Afrikaners”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 02 Feb 2023Users can upload an unlimited number of voice messages, text prompts, photographs and videos of themselves, and in return an algorithm melds together memories and media and spits out a “virtual you” – an avatar that can speak to loved ones on phone calls and through text messages “so that children, grandchildren and beyond can know what you’re really like”.
2025 March 5, Patricia Clarke, “You and me, we gonna live forever … as avatars, at least”, in The Observer - intransitiveTo combine, to blend, to fuse.
plural melds
- The result of multiple things being combined together; a blend.First known use late 20th c.
Synonyms: combination
meld2
present singular third person melds · participle present melding · participle past melded · past melded
- Especially in games of the rummy family:
- transitivecard gamesTo announce or play (a combination of playing cards) and thus score points.First known use late 19th c.
- intransitivecard gamesTo announce or play a combination of playing cards and thus score points.First known use late 19th c.
plural melds
- card gamesEspecially in games of the rummy family: a combination of playing cards which is announced or played to score points.First known use late 19th c.
The realization that Istra was in the room made him forget most of his melds at pinochle; […]
1914 February, Sinclair Lewis, “He is Blown by the Whirlwind”, in Our Mr. Wrenn: The Romantic Adventures of a Gentle Man, New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap, →OCLC, page 231
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe result of multiple things being combined together; a blend.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna form of rummy using two decks of cards and four jokers; jokers and deuces are wild; the object is to form groups of the same rank
verbmix together different elements
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
meld · verb, noun
The verb is probably derived: * from a blend of melt + weld; or * from melled (“blended; mingled”), the past participle of mell. The noun is derived from the verb. Compare also melting pot.
Full word history & related roots →meld · verb, noun
- Proto-Indo-European*meldʰ-“to ask; to pray; to speak”
- Proto-West Germanic*melþōn“to announce, declare; to inform”
- Dutchmelden“to announce; to let (someone) know, report; (specifically) to declare in a card game”
- Englishmeld
The verb is probably borrowed from Dutch melden (“to announce; to let (someone) know, report; (specifically) to declare in a card game”), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *melþōn (“to announce, declare; to inform”), and Proto-Indo-European *meldʰ- (“to ask; to pray; to speak”). The noun is derived from the verb. Cognates * Dutch melden * Old English meldian (“to announce, declare; to inform, notify”) (Middle English melden (“to accuse, inform against; to announce, declare”))
More words from Dutch, Proto-West Germanic, Proto-Indo-European
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian смесвам, свалям
- смесвам (smesvam)to combine (multiple things) together — see also blend, fuse
- свалям (svaljam)(transitive) to announce or play (a combination of cards); (intransitive) to announce or play a combination of playing cards
Czech hlásit
- hlásit(transitive) to announce or play (a combination of cards); (intransitive) to announce or play a combination of playing cards
Dutch samensmelten, versmelten
- samensmeltento combine (multiple things) together — see also blend, fuse
- versmeltento combine (multiple things) together — see also blend, fuse
- roemen(transitive) to announce or play (a combination of cards); (intransitive) to announce or play a combination of playing cards
- roemcombination of playing cards announced or played to score points
Finnish sulauttaa, yhdistää
- sulauttaato combine (multiple things) together — see also blend, fuse
- yhdistääto combine (multiple things) together — see also blend, fuse
- pöydätä(transitive) to announce or play (a combination of cards); (intransitive) to announce or play a combination of playing cards
- pöytäyscombination of playing cards announced or played to score points
Japanese 役
- 役 (yaku)combination of playing cards announced or played to score points
Polish łączyć, połączyć
- łączyćto combine (multiple things) together — see also blend, fuse
- połączyćto combine (multiple things) together — see also blend, fuse
- zlepiaćto combine (multiple things) together — see also blend, fuse
- zlepićto combine (multiple things) together — see also blend, fuse
- łączyć(transitive) to announce or play (a combination of cards); (intransitive) to announce or play a combination of playing cards
- połączyć(transitive) to announce or play (a combination of cards); (intransitive) to announce or play a combination of playing cards
- połączeniecombination of playing cards announced or played to score points
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with meld
All rhymes →Cite this entry
meld. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meld
“meld.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meld. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “meld,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meld.
Source: meld on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.