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1. A small ring of color around a center portion, as about the nipple of the breast or the part of the iris surrounding the pupil of the eye.
2. A small space or interstice in a tissue or part, such as the area bounded by small veins in a leaf or the wing of an insect.In both senses also calledareole.
[Latināreola, small open space, diminutive ofārea, open place; see AREA.]
Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:
The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.