Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - ize

 verb suffix  Etymology: Middle French -iser, from Late Latin -izare, from Greek ~in  1.  a.  (1) cause to be or conform to or resemble systemize Americanize ; cause to be formed into unionize  (2) subject to a (specified) action plagiarize  (3) impregnate or treat or combine with aluminize  b. treat like idolize  c. treat according to the method of bowdlerize  2.  a. become ; become like crystallize  b. be productive in or of hypothesize ; engage in a (specified) activity philosophize  c. adopt or spread the manner of activity or the teaching of Platonize Usage:  The suffix ~ has been productive in English since the time of Thomas Nashe (1567-1601), who claimed credit for introducing it into English to remedy the surplus of monosyllabic words. Almost any noun or adjective can be made into a verb by adding ~ hospitalize familiarize; many technical terms are coined this way oxidize as well as verbs of ethnic derivation Americanize and verbs derived from proper names bowdlerize mesmerize. Nashe noted in 1591 that his ~ coinages were being criticized, and to this day new words ending in ~ finalize prioritize are sure to draw critical fire. IZHEVSK  or 1985-87 Ustinov  geographical name city E Russia in Europe capital of Udmurtia population 651,000