Inserting

How to spell inserting

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce inserting

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does inserting mean?

1. verbPlacing or putting something into the inside of something else.

Inserting in a sentence

• She finished the form by inserting her date of birth in the last box.

• The technician was inserting a new memory card into the camera.

Where does inserting come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word descends from the Latin verb inserere, formed from in- meaning 'into' and serere meaning 'to join together' or 'to put in a row'. The same serere root literally described stringing or linking things in sequence, an idea that survives in 'series' and in the botanical 'sere'. By the early 1500s English had adopted 'insert' to mean placing one thing within another, and the present participle 'inserting' follows the regular pattern of simply adding -ing. Because the base 'insert' ends in a single 't' preceded by a stressed vowel sound, no consonant doubling occurs, which is the small point that trips some writers. The spelling stays faithful to its Latin parts: the in- prefix and the sert root sit plainly on the page.

How the word is built

• in- (into)
• sert (from Latin serere: to join, to put in a row)
• -ing (present participle suffix)