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A state of the south-central United States. It was admitted as the 28th state in 1845. Explored by the Spanish in the 1500s and 1600s, the region became a province of Mexico in the early 1800s. Texans won their independence in 1836 after a gallant but losing stand at the Alamo in February and a defeat of Santa Anna's forces at the Battle of San Jacinto (April 21). Denied admission as a state by antislavery forces in the US Congress, the leaders of Texas formed an independent republic that lasted until 1845. Austin is the capital.
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.