quantize

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. Physics To limit the possible values of (a magnitude or quantity) to a discrete set of values by quantum mechanical rules.
2. v. Physics To apply quantum mechanics or the quantum theory to.

Wiktionary

1. v. transitive, physics To limit the number of possible values of a quantity, or states of a system, by applying the rules of quantum mechanics
2. v. transitive, telecommunications To approximate a continuously varying signal by one whose amplitude can only have a set of discrete values
3. v. transitive, music To shift each beat in a rhythmic pattern to the nearest beat of a given resolution (eighth note, sixteenth note, etc.), or to adjust the frequency or pitch of a note to the nearest perfect tone in a given musical scale

WordNet 3.0

1. v. approximate (a signal varying continuously in amplitude) by one whose amplitude is restricted to a prescribed set of discrete values
2. v. apply quantum theory to; restrict the number of possible values of (a quantity) or states of (a physical entity or system) so that certain variables can assume only certain discrete magnitudes that are integral multiples of a common factor