Definition

1. Verb:

   • To mix or blend together different elements, often until they become a unified whole. This meaning emphasizes the process of combination where separate components lose their individual distinctions.
   • To announce or display a combination of cards for a score in certain card games. This is a specific term used in games like rummy or canasta.

2. Noun:

   • A specific card game, or a declared combination of cards in such a game. As a noun, it refers to the act of showing a valid set of cards or the game itself.

Usage and Examples

• Verb (to blend):

  • The artist sought to meld classical techniques with modern themes in her paintings.
  • Over time, the two cultures melded, creating unique traditions.

• Verb (in card games):

  • On his turn, he melded three kings and a run of four hearts.
  • You cannot meld until you have drawn a card.

• Noun:

  • His winning meld consisted of four aces.
  • They spent the evening playing a few hands of meld.

Advanced Usage

• "to meld into": to blend or merge seamlessly with something, becoming part of it.
  • The soloist's voice melded into the harmony of the choir.
  • In the dusk, the figure melded into the shadows.

Variants and Related Words

• Melding (n/gerund): The action or process of blending or combining.
  • The melding of these ideas created a powerful new theory.

Synonyms

• Blend: To mix thoroughly.
• Merge: To combine or cause to combine to form a single entity.
• Fuse: To join or blend to form a single entity.
• Combine: To join or mix together.

Antonyms

• Separate: To cause to move or be apart.
• Divide: To separate into parts.
• Disconnect: To break the connection between.

Related Phrases (Card Game Context)

• "to lay down a meld": To announce and display a valid combination of cards.
  • She laid down a meld of seven cards, ending the round.

Noun

1. a 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

Verb

1. mix together different elements
   • The colors blend well
2. lose its distinct outline or shape; blend gradually
   • Hundreds of actors were melting into the scene
3. announce for a score; of cards in a card game