From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
generate
v 1: bring into existence; "The new manager generated a lot of
problems"; "The computer bug generated chaos in the
office"; "The computer generated this image"; "The
earthquake generated a tsunami" [syn: generate, {bring
forth}]
2: give or supply; "The cow brings in 5 liters of milk"; "This
year's crop yielded 1,000 bushels of corn"; "The estate
renders some revenue for the family" [syn: render, yield,
return, give, generate]
3: produce (energy); "We can't generate enough power for the
entire city"; "The hydroelectric plant needs to generate more
electricity"
4: make children; "Abraham begot Isaac"; "Men often father
children but don't recognize them" [syn: beget, get,
engender, father, mother, sire, generate, {bring
forth}]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Generate \Gen"er*ate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Generated; p. pr. &
vb. n. Generating.] [L. generatus, p. p. of generare to
generate, fr. genus. See Genus, Gender.]
[1913 Webster]
1. To beget; to procreate; to propagate; to produce (a being
similar to the parent); to engender; as, every animal
generates its own species.
[1913 Webster]
2. To cause to be; to bring into life. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
3. To originate, especially by a vital or chemical process;
to produce; to cause.
[1913 Webster]
Whatever generates a quantity of good chyle must
likewise generate milk. --Arbuthnot.
[1913 Webster]
4. (Math.) To trace out, as a line, figure, or solid, by the
motion of a point or a magnitude of inferior order.
[1913 Webster]
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008) [foldoc]:
generate
gen
To produce something according to an algorithm or program or
set of rules, or as a (possibly unintended) side effect of
the execution of an algorithm or program.
The opposite of parse.
[Jargon File]
(1995-06-15)
From Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003) [jargon]:
generate
vt.
To produce something according to an algorithm or program or set of
rules, or as a (possibly unintended) side effect of the execution of
an algorithm or program. The opposite of parse. This term retains
its mechanistic connotations (though often humorously) when used of
human behavior. "The guy is rational most of the time, but mention
nuclear energy around him and he'll generate infinite flamage."