The dictionary meaning of the term "associate" is "colleague" ; "friend" ; "companion".

词典中“伙伴”一词的意思是“同事”；“朋友”；“伴侣”。

youdao

youdao

Thus the activity and motion that we might associate with frolicking points right back through the meaning of “high spirits” to a leaping source for the etymology.

所以，这种我们认为与嬉闹欢快的含义相关联的动作，以词源学分析，会从“精神亢奋”一直追溯到表示“跳，蹦”的一个词源上。

youdao

She was not imaginative enough to associate any other meaning with the words.

NEWYORKER: Temporary

She then began to associate sound with meaning.

NPR: Regina Spektor Hears Magic In The Inexplicable

For one, the light that falls on your eyes is meaningless because it could mean anything, it's what we do with information that makes the difference, in how we find patterns and associate those patterns with a useful meaning.

FORBES: TEDGlobal