habituate

/həˌbɪtʃəˈweɪt/

Other forms: habituated; habituating; habituates

When you habituate something, you're helping it to get accustomed to a new home. Workers in zoos spend a lot of time habituating animals.

The word "habit" in habituate is a clue to its meaning — by habituating, you're helping a creature or person get used to new surroundings and establish new habits, especially in a new habitat (home). If your dog spends the night with a friend, you might bring some of his toys to habituate him and make him feel comfortable. It takes a lot of time for a new cat to be habituated to a home. When you habituate something, you're helping it feel comfortable and accustomed to a new place.

Definitions of habituate

1. verb

   make psychologically or physically used (to something)
   “She became habituated to the background music”

   synonyms: accustom

   types:

   harden, indurate, inure

   cause to accept or become hardened to; habituate

   teach

   accustom gradually to some action or attitude

   addict, hook

   to cause (someone or oneself) to become dependent (on something, especially a narcotic drug)

   callous, cauterise, cauterize

   make insensitive or callous; deaden feelings or morals

   brace oneself for, prepare for, steel oneself against, steel onself for

   prepare mentally or emotionally for something unpleasant

   type of:

   alter, change, modify

   cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
2. verb

   take or consume (regularly or habitually)
   synonyms: use

   types:

   drink, tope

   drink excessive amounts of alcohol; be an alcoholic

   board

   lodge and take meals (at)

   type of:

   consume, have, ingest, take, take in

   serve oneself to, or consume regularly