translocate

Everyday

1. (formal, science) To translocate is to move something from one place to another, especially to move wild animals or plants to a new home to keep them safe. tree →
2. (biology) In plants, to translocate is to carry food, such as sugar, through the stem from the leaves to other parts. tree →

In the lessons

Mainly in science and conservation: rangers translocate rhinos, kiwis or beavers to safer places so they can breed. In plant biology, sugars are translocated through tubes called phloem. A formal word; in everyday talk people say «move» or «relocate».

Examples

• Rangers translocated twenty rhinos to a safer park. tree →
• Scientists plan to translocate the rare frogs to a new pond. tree →
• Kiwi chicks are sometimes translocated to islands without predators. tree →
• Plants translocate sugar from their leaves to their roots. tree →
• Beavers were translocated to Scotland to bring them back to the rivers. tree →
• The team must check the new home before they translocate the birds. tree →

Note

Regular verb: «translocated», «translocating». The noun is «translocation». Formal and scientific; «relocate» is the more common everyday word.